The Story of Faith
by SereneLy512
Summary: NOW FINISHED! RnR, CnM, JnP! Ross with edge, Monica's pregnant, Phoebe's a celebrity. A deceitful tragedy changes their lives. Will FAITH bring them back together?
1. Default Chapter

The Story of Faith

By Serenely

Okay, this fic was basically a result of insomnia. It is completely fictional, and has nothing to do with any particular storylines from the actual show. It is centered around RnR, but I've incorporated a lot of CnM, and even JnP. All the characters are basically the same except for Ross...he's a little more edgy (actually a lot more edgy), just to add some "umph" to his usually "door-mat-sugar-coated" character. Oh, and Joey never fell in love with Rachel. The story may be difficult to understand at first, but I promise if you continue reading, it'll all make sense. Enjoy guys (and dolls)!

Disclaimer: If I had a genie from a magic lamp, I'd wish to own these characters because I don't and I really, really want to. sigh

It was 8:45pm on a warm, breezy Friday night in San Jose. After stepping out from the sliding doors of San Jose International Airport and onto the pavement of the temperate city, she soon regretted her choice of wardrobe: a cashmere turtleneck, a long pea coat and her favorite jeans. She heard the weather in Cali was nice, but it was still February. 'Oh well,' she thought. 'I'll be able to change soon.' Looking down at her side to the little girl grasping her hand, Rachel made sure they hadn't forgotten anything.

"Honey, be careful not to drag boo-boo," said Rachel referring to her daughter's stuffed bear. Being held upside down, boo-boo's ears were inches away from the dirty cement. "We just gave him a bath before we left, remember?" Ariel nodded minding her mother's request.

"Yes, mommy," she whispered groggily. Ariel wasn't used to being up this late. Three year old girls used up a lot of energy during the day, and Ariel wasn't an exception. Rachel had changed her clothes a few hours earlier on the plane, putting her into her favorite purple-fuzzy pajamas with the feet already sewn on. She had slept a little during the flight, but the unexpected turbulence had frightened her and she found it hard to fall back asleep. Now that they were on solid ground, Ariel couldn't wait to cuddle up with her blanky that was safely tucked in her Power-Puff Girls knapsack. She yawned.

"Aww, sweetie, don't worry. Auntie Monica and Uncle Chandler will be here soon, okay?" Rachel reassured her daughter. Almost on cue, a yellow taxi stopped yards away from them and a much too frantic Monica almost fell over leaping out from inside it.

"Rachel!" she exclaimed elatedly while hurrying over to greet her best friend. Although they had just seen each other the previous week, the familiarity and presence of someone she loved greatly always eased Monica. Rachel felt the same.

"Hi, angel," said Monica as she kissed Ariel on the forehead.

"Where's my little Rie-Rie!" asked Chandler in a kiddish voice as he approached them. Ariel squealed excitedly as she hid behind her mother in an attempt to play along with her Uncle's game. Every time they saw each other, Chandler would chase her around playfully and Ariel would run away knowing that if her Uncle caught her, massive tickling would occur.

With huge smiles on their faces, Rachel and Monica embraced briefly. The bulge in Monica's tummy being more defined than before prevented Rachel from fully squeezing Monica like she usually did. Even though she was only 4 months pregnant, she was showing profoundly. Smiling, they watched Chandler lift Ariel into who arms, who by now was giggling uncontrollably, and planted sloppy kisses all over her face. Rachel smiled appreciatively at the sight.

"Uncle Channler your so siwwy!" cooed Ariel. Ariel loved Chandler and Monica immensely. Her Aunt spoiled her like crazy, always making her favorite white-chocolate, macadamia nut cookies. And her Uncle never objected to playing with her, even after thirteen games of Candy land. She loved it best when Monica sang her lullabies, and when Chandler read her bedtime stories. Nobody did "voices" better than her Uncle, not even the real characters.

Being a single mother wasn't easy for Rachel, and having Chandler and Monica's emotional and physical support helped her more than she could fathom. Monica never hesitated to take care of Ariel when Rachel had an unexpected affair with work, and Chandler pretty much had been the father figure in Ariel's life. Because of previous experiences a few years back, Rachel had learned that sometimes life had unexpected twists of fate, but not once did she ever regret having Ariel. She was Rachel's sole purpose for living.

"Come on Chandler!" called Monica. "I promised Phoebe we'd be back as soon as possible!" Hearing Phoebe's name brought a brand new smile to Rachel's face. She couldn't wait to see her and Joey. They hurriedly piled into the cab.

"Chapell Gardens," Chandler told the driver.

"I cannot believe they're getting married...Gosh, I haven't seen them in years, Mon! Does Phoebe look different? How is the church decorated? Did they find a band yet?" Rachel couldn't control her enthusiasm.

"Everything and everyone is perfectly fine, Rach. Oh! And yesterday Joey signed the contract to do the sequel to 'You Are Mine'! He starts filming after they get back from their honeymoon!"

"Oh I can't wait to see them!" Rachel glanced outside the and over the city. Brilliant lights trickled over the valley and reflected against the window. "Wow...hey, San Jose's kinda nice. It's not the 'City', but it's nice."

"Yeah I know. The weather here is awesome. You should see Phoebe and Joey's tans!"

"But it's February!"

"I know!" The girls laugh.

Moments later, the cab approached a beautiful, Crème colored, Mediterranean style mansion. The walkway was tiled with specks of granite and marble, fabulously lit by old fashioned lampposts. Arches of Maplewood intertwined with honey suckle vines hugged the Veranda above the front door. Joey and Phoebe's home was incredibly huge.

"Wow..." breathed Rachel. "Celebrity life did those two good..."

"Tell me about it," said Monica. "Their closet is the size of my apartment."

Chandler laughed. "Sad, but true. I guess all those years of 'smelling the fart' acting and 'smelly cat' singing finally paid off," he mused.

Upon hearing a car entering their driveway, Phoebe opened the front door and immediately called Joey. "They're here! They're here!" cried Phoebe. "Ooh yay!"

"'Bout time!" exclaimed Joey. "I wanna see my niece!" He and Phoebe proceeded outside.

"Joey! Pheebs!" cried Rachel happily as she got out of the cab. She could feel her eyes brimming with tears. She missed these two more than she realized. She quickly gripped Phoebe and held onto her for dear life as wet streams fell along her cheeks. After finally letting go, she saw Joey grinning widely. Rachel threw her arms around him and Joey enveloped her in a loving bear hug. "You don't know how much I've missed you guys..." sobbed Rachel.

"Hey, hey..."soothed Joey. "You're here now. Everything's perfect..." They pulled apart and Rachel wiped her face. She glanced around at her four wonderful friends, and felt her heart melt.

'Almost perfect...' she thought.

"And who's this princess?" asked Phoebe motioning to Ariel. "You must be our Rie-Rie." Ariel smiled politely at the friendly, blonde woman and shy, dark-haired man. Suddenly in recognition, Ariel knew who Joey and Phoebe were.

"Your on TV!" she said excitedly. "Mommy, dey on TV!" Rachel nodded.

"Yes sweetie they are. This is your Auntie Phoebe." Phoebe smiled sweetly. "And your Uncle Joey." Joey did the same. He noticed she was protectively carrying the bear they sent her for Christmas last year. He smiled.

"She's so much more beautiful than the pictures you sent us, Rach," said Joey.

"Yeah, she looks just like you..." Phoebe added, trying hard not to notice she looked a little like somebody else as well.

"Aww, thanks you guys. Let's get inside so I can put the munchkin to bed. She's had a long day. And then you guys can tell me all about the wedding plans!" Joey and Phoebe shared a love-struck glance before he went to retrieve the luggage on the driveway.

Just as they all entered the house, Rachel's cell phone started to ring. She ignored it and continued to follow Phoebe. It finally stopped. A few seconds later, her phone rang again. "Oh darn it...Pheebs, can you take Rie?"

"Sure, Rach."

"Sweetie, Auntie Monica and Auntie Phoebe will take you upstairs. I'll be right up to tuck you in, okay?" Ariel nodded sleepily.

Rachel rushed outside and onto the Veranda to take the call. She flipped her phone open and the caller ID revealed an unexpected and very unfavorable name. Her night had been wonderful so far, and she knew this person would ruin it. She sighed heavily. 'I'm so tired of arguing...' She hesitated to debate whether or not to answer it, but she knew the conversation would be inevitable. She caught her breath, reluctantly pressed the "accept" button and braced herself for the worst.

"Hello..." she mumbled trying not to sound too dejected.

"Why didn't you tell me you were taking Ariel to California!" screamed a male voice from the phone.

"I'm fine thanks. Ariel's fine too by the way. We had a smooth flight..." said Rachel sarcastically.

"Don't play smart games with me Rachel," he yelled. "Answer the question!"

"I tried," said an exasperated Rachel. "I left message after message with your secretary, telling you to call me. I kept calling your cell phone last week and you never picked up. What was I supposed to do, write you a letter?"

"BS!" yelled the man. "I didn't get any messages!"

"Don't call me a liar!" Rachel was rapidly getting annoyed.

"Hey, if the shoe fits..." he angrily spat out.

"You are unbelievable! Practice what you preach! You're calling ME a liar! Walk your pathetic self to a mirror and take a good, hard look!"

"You know I could have you in a legal dispute about this?" he threatened icily. "You took my daughter out of the state without my permission!"

"Oh pull your head out of your ass already! Just 'cuz you think you're some hot-shot lawyer you act like the whole damn world revolves around you! You don't OWN us! I'm only here for two weeks and Ariel hasn't even started preschool yet!"

"Next time, you let me KNOW before you take my daughter ANYWHERE out of the City or I WILL take legal action," he growled.

"If you were actually INVOLVED in your daughter's life, I wouldn't have such a hard time tracking you down!"

"Hey that little girl ADORES me!"

"I'm sorry, are we referring to the SAME little girl!"

"She knows I'm her father! I can't always be there for her, but that doesn't mean I'm not a good father!"

"Maybe by law an Alimony check once a month and a brief visit twice a year classifies you as a parent, but it doesn't to me! You can try to defend your actions all you want, but everyday you're not in her life, you drift further and further away from Ariel's memory. Hell, I shouldn't be complaining because she's better off without you!"

"Are you seriously TRYING to piss me off more than you have Rachel! Cuz' you're doing one hell of a job!" The man on the phone was absolutely fuming. "If your aren't home in two weeks I will gladly see to it that the rest of your life will be completely miserable."

"Go to hell, Ross!" Rachel snapped her phone shut and let it drop to the ground. Fists clenched tight, hot sheathes of liquid blazed her eyes as she stared out into the night sky.

To be continued...

P.S. DON'T HATE ME! I'll explain why Ross is NOT a nice guy in the following chapters...


	2. The Phone Call

The Story of Faith part 2: The Phone Call...

Author's note: The first part was basically an intro. This chapter deals a lot more with Ross and Rachel's "fictional" history and dives back and forth from the present and past.

Disclaimer: Maybe one day Bright, Kaufman and Crane will give them to me. Until that day, these characters aren't mind.

Crestfallen but full of rage, Rachel walked off the veranda and went to sit on one of the marble steps. She roughly wiped her face as bitter emotions ran through her veins. She exhaled heavily, wanting so desperately to just scream out all of her frustrations.

Ross was already in a foul mood earlier that night, having lost a very important case. When he got home, he phoned his mother good night; a routine that he had acquired over the past four years. She asked him why he wasn't in California. He didn't know what she was talking about. She then explained how Monica and Chandler left for California earlier that week for Phoebe and Joey's wedding...which was supposed to be on Sunday. Trying hard not to sound upset, he said he hadn't heard anything about it. Not that he expected to. Ross hadn't spoken to any of them in over three years, including his own sister. But he couldn't help but feel hurt that they didn't invite him to the wedding...

'Whatever.' He brushed the momentary disappointment aside, knowing that they weren't included in his life anymore. All of that was in the past. Judy then mentioned how Rachel had been trying to get a hold of him all last week. He said he knew. He just didn't have time to argue with her, so he avoided her calls. His mother said that was a mistake. Rachel and Ariel left for California that morning as well. Upon hearing this, Ross was infuriated. He cut the conversation with his mother short and dialed a new number.

Rachel hated him. She hated his temper...his irrationality...his selfishness. She hated what he did to her in the past...How he treated his daughter...Who he had become. She shook her head and smoothed her hair in an attempt to shake off the anger. Mostly she hated herself for being so powerlessly affected by him. But she knew that was unavoidable: Ross would always be a part of her. Every time she looked at her little girl, she was reminded of that.

Ross slammed down the phone onto the receiver causing it to crack. He began to pace around the room, constantly running his impatient fingers through his hair. This time Rachel had pushed too far. 'What does she want from me! Why the hell does Rachel always have to be so difficult! I have rights to Ariel too! I'm her father! She should've tried harder to contact me!'

The fact that she took his little girl to California without him knowing scared Ross, but why? Maybe because this proved that Rachel could take Ariel away, and he wouldn't know until it was too late. Deep down, his conscience knew he was n't being a very good father... Rachel had almost every justification to run away with Ariel...almost. But he'd never admit this openly. He blamed it on his work. He hardly saw her because of the chaotic schedule of his career. He never meant it to be that way. He never WANTED it to be that way. But it was. He forgot how he ended up putting his career before his own family; how he chose working over living. It just...happened. No...he knew how it happened. He just wanted to forget. But all that crap in the past didn't seem to matter anymore. He loved his daughter. He wasn't doing a good job of showing it, but he did. And he knew Ariel loved him back. He knew it...

People used to tell Rachel that she and Ross were forced together by kismet; fate; destiny. What they once shared was so rarely wonderful, it was almost perfection. He was so good to her...so loving...so giving...so unbelievably kind...

But one phone call had changed everything. In a blink of an eye, their world collapsed, and their lives were changed forever. Ross wasn't who she thought he was, and it took Rachel nearly two years to admit that. The day she lost Ross, she lost faith in love.

* * *

(5 years, 8 months earlier) 

After a long day at the office, Rachel entered the apartment she and Ross shared which was across the hall from Monica and Chandler's. Last year, they all decided to move out of the college dorms and get places of their own. It was incredibly convenient that both apartments were vacant the day they went looking.

She was greeted by Ross with a sweet kiss. He had been looking into graduate schools all day. Even though he already worked at the Museum of Natural History, he wanted a doctorate in paleontology. Rachel never understood why. Still, it was one of many funny charms that she admired about him. He liked dinosaurs and she loved him for it.

"Hi sweetie..." he said as he embraced her into a long hug. She didn't want to let go, but she knew she had to. She needed to get ready for school. Rachel was taking night classes to finish her Business degree. She worked fulltime during the day at Bloomingdale's, but she was tired of being an assistant. She wanted to be the person who HAD an assistant.

"I made dinner. Mac n Cheese. You should eat before you leave."

"Aww...what would I do without you?" Rachel asked, gazing at Ross adoringly. They shared another sweet kiss.

Just then, the phone rang. "Oh, I'll go answer it. Can you put some Macaroni in a bowl for me?"

"Sure sweetie," and Ross walked off to the kitchen while Rachel retrieved the cordless phone from their bedroom.

"Hello? Oh Hi Mrs. Gel-" She was taken aback by incoherent sobs on the other end. "Why are you crying? What's wrong? Is everything alright?" she asked panicked." She couldn't understand what Judy was saying, but she knew it was definitely not good news. "Wait, hold on...let me get Ross..." She walked into the kitchen to find Ross at the dinner table waiting for her. Rachel swallowed hard. "Ross..." she whispered trembling. "It's your mother..."

* * *

(Present) 

"Rach...sweetie, are you okay?" asked a concerned Monica. Rachel turned around abruptly, surprised to see her two best friends standing behind her. Her bloodshot eyes said it all. "Oh Rachel..." whispered Monica. Phoebe knelt down to hold her.

"How-how did you know I wasn't okay? I've only been out here for a few minutes..."

"Well, your bedroom window is right above the Veranda and it was open...we-we kinda heard you yelling," explained Phoebe. Rachel's eyes widened.

"But-but we took Ariel out of the room and put her into mine and Chandler's. She was pretty much zonked out so she didn't really hear anything..." Rachel nodded relieved.

"Rach...that was Ross...wasn't it?" Monica asked reluctantly, already knowing the answer. Rachel nodded her head again. Monica fought the irritation she felt at the very mention of her brother's name. "Come on sweetie, let's get you inside. I'll make us some coffee." They helped Rachel up and went in.

From the moment Ross laid eyes on her, he put Rachel on this pedestal, knowing no woman would affect him the same ever again. His friends encouraged him to keep faith that one day, it would happen. They would be together. It took him years to finally build up the bravery to admit his feelings. When he finally told her during his sophomore year at NYU, he found out she had been in love with him as well. He regretted that he didn't tell her sooner...

But that was a long time ago when Ross was still naive to the cruelties of life. Childhood crushes and puppy love belonged in fictional romance novels, not in the real world. He learned this the hard way, and was never the same after.

* * *

(5 years earlier) 

Ross woke up to find himself under mounds of legal documents, messy court papers, and books thrown everywhere around the bedroom. There was no sign of Rachel. The previous night he had been helping his father's lawyer search for clauses about successful cases dealing with Framed Murder. He didn't remember falling asleep.

He glanced at the clock as it blinked 5:12PM. Had he really slept thru the entire day? He rubbed his head, feeling the affects of a migraine that hadn't left him the past 8 months. Ross graduated from NYU about a year ago with a BS in Paleontology. He was then planning to get his PhD in the same subject.

But he wasn't studying Paleontology anymore. He was in Law School, studying Criminal Defense. The words a friend once said to him haunted him as he regained full consciousness. "Have faith, man," Chandler reassured him. "They'll get to the bottom of this..."

Just then, Rachel walked through the door carrying a pile of heavy folders. "Did you just wake up?"

"Yeah...I didn't know I slept that long...how was work?"

"Well, it's gotten a lot easier now that I have an assistant. He's a bit slow though, so I had to take some extra paperwork home."

Ross raised his eyebrows. "He?"

Cautiously Rachel answered, "Yeah...Ross please don't make this into anymore than it is. He was the most qualified within the offered salary range." Ross couldn't help but still feel slightly jealous. "Honey, we hardly get to spend time with each other anymore. I don't want to fight."

Sadly, Ross understood what she meant completely. "Yeah...I'm sorry...it's just, I've been a wreck lately, you know? Especially with the trial next week..." his voiced trailed off.

"I know sweetie...I know..." Rachel walked over and put her arms around Ross's waist. She ran her hands up and down his back comfortingly. He looked down at her, and held her tightly. He was so grateful to have her. In no way did he ever believe life would throw him something as twisted as this, but Rachel kept his faith going. He never forgot how he felt the day his mother called. It was permanently imbedded into his memory.

His perfect world had shattered the day his father was arrested with charges of murder in the first degree, child abuse, and molestation.

* * *

(Present)

"Ross..." called a woman from the bedroom. He ignored her. Eventually, she came out and found him sitting on the sofa, in the dark. "Why didn't you answer me!" she whined.

He turned to look up at her briefly, thoughts racing in and out of his head. He quickly jumped up and ran into the bedroom. Bewildered, the woman followed him. He got out a suitcase and started throwing random pieces of clothing into it.

"What are you doing? Do you have a business trip or something?" she asked desperately.

"Sort-of." He continued packing.

"What's going on!" she was getting frantic.

"Mona, I gotta take care of something. You can stay the night but I'm not gonna be back for a few weeks. If you need me, call the office and leave a message. I'll be checkin' in with my secretary."

"So where the hell are you going!"

"California." He walked out of the apartment and slammed the door behind him.

To be continued...


	3. There is an Explanation

The Story of Faith 3: Pairing up

Set for the following day. This does a lot of explaining. Phoebe, Rachel, Ariel and Monica are observing as the wedding planner and her staff decorate the church for the wedding. Joey and Chandler are on the movie set of Joey's new film. They recall back to college days, bittersweet romances, and the moment everything changed for the worst. Then, an unexpected guest arrives.

Disclaimer: BKC, if you're reading this, I'll trade my childhood sticker collection for these characters!

"Pheebs the church is utterly beautiful. I can't wait until tomorrow!" said Rachel as she, Monica and Phoebe walked out of the church. Ariel was skipping along next to the girls while holding Phoebe's hand. She loved the 'Smelly Cat' song, and when she found out her Auntie sang it, she was ecstatic. The women sat down on the bench while Ariel continued to skip around.

"I know! I'm getting married tomorrow! Woohoo! To Joseph Tribbiani! Double Woohoo!" The girls laughed.

"Gosh! Remember how we all found out about each other!" giggled Rachel. They began to reminisce...

* * *

(Almost 8 years earlier) 

Phoebe, Monica and Rachel were all rooming together in a 3-bedroom dorm at NYC as freshman. Ross, Chandler and Joey were also roommates at the Guys' dorm, but they were sophomores. Rachel was getting ready for a date and Phoebe was watching TV. Monica was at the library.

"Phoebe! Have you seen my plaid skirt?" called Rachel from her bedroom.

"Uh…nuh-uh," lied Phoebe. Rachel walked out of her room.

"Pheebs! You're wearing it!"

"Oh! You mean THIS plaid skirt?" she said sheepishly.

Rachel sighed, "It's okay. I'll just wear the black one."

"So, you have another date tonight with Ronald huh?"

Confused Rachel asked, "Ronald? Oh yeah..." she smiled dreamily. "Ronald... You have any hot plans tonight?"

"Nope..." she lied again. She was secretly meeting Joey for ice cream later that evening, but she wasn't ready to let the girls know yet. She was afraid they'd just jinx their relationship. Besides, sneaking around was a lot more exciting to Phoebe.

Rachel didn't want to tell Phoebe that she was actually going out with Ross. Besides the fact that he was Monica's brother, the girls kind of thought he was a geek because of the whole "dinosaur" thing. Rachel didn't agree. She always had a secret crush on him.

Just after 2:30AM that night, Rachel and Ross crept quietly into the Girls' dorm. Upon entering Rachel's bedroom, Ross noisily tripped over an object. Rachel turned on the lights to see if Ross had hurt himself. He had a slight bruise forming at the top of his head. He looked down to see what caused his fall. It was a male athletic sneaker. The bottom sole had the initials JT: it was Joey's shoe.

"Oooh! I'm gonna kick Joey's ass!" cried Ross.

"Says who!" yelled an almost naked Joey storming out of Phoebe's room. Wearing only boxers, he shamelessly covered himself knowing he had been caught

"Joey!" exclaimed Rachel. Phoebe then came running out in a bathrobe.

"Phoebe!" Rachel covered her mouth with her hands from shock. She knew what they had been doing. Ross stood frozen. "Care to explain you two?"

"Well uh...see uh, I came over to protect Phoebe from the thieves..."

"Wait, what thieves?" asked Ross.

"You know...the dorm robbers..." Joey stuttered.

"There haven't been any dorm robberies! I should know! I'm the RA of this dorm!"

"Hey! There COULD be robbers!"

"And if we WERE robbers what were you going to do, attack us with your underwear!" asked Rachel incredulously.

Phoebe tried not to look guilty. Then she realized, "Wait, what are you and Ross doing back here this late?"

Ross stuttered trying to explain, "We uh..." Trying to think of an excuse, "...uh you see...what HAD happened was..." He fought for words.

Just then, Monica and Chandler entered the dorm completely lip-locked. Obviously they assumed everyone would be asleep or in their rooms.

"Oh My God!" screamed Rachel and Phoebe simultaneously.

"GET OFF MY SISTER!" cried Ross. Chandler nearly jumped out of his skin from fright. They all stared at each other for minutes.

Then Rachel jumped up gleefully. "Aww...I'm so happy for you guys!" sang Rachel as she went to give Monica and Phoebe a hug. They embraced goofily for a long time.

The guys continued to look at each other awkwardly. Chandler tried to break the ice by playfully holding his arms out motioning for the guys to hug him. Joey and Ross walked out of the dorm.

* * *

(Present)

"Oh, remember when you and Joey announced you were moving to California?" asked Monica sadly. "I cried so hard that day!"

* * *

(5 years, 9 months earlier)

It was about a month before Ross, Joey and Chandler's graduation, when Joey got his big break.

He ran into the girls' dorm jumping up and down. "I'm going to star in a movie!"

"Really! Oh yay!" cried Phoebe, jumping up and down with him.

"Yeah! I leave at the end of the month! I'm moving to San Francisco! Frisco baby!"

"Aww Joe...I always had faith that you'd make it big someday..." Phoebe said sincerely.

Suddenly, a serious thought entered Joey's head. "Come with me, Pheebs..."

"What?" she asked surprised. She stood silent for a moment and studied the grin on his face. "Do you mean it?"

"Of course I mean it!" he exclaimed. He wanted her to come more than anything.

"Well, I mean...I'd have to think about it..." she started. Joey nodded his head, trying not to look crushed. Phoebe looked up for a second pretending to think, "Okay I thought about it! Let's go!"

"Oh yeah!" They both began hopping around the dorm.

Just then, Rachel, Monica, Chandler and Ross all entered the room.

"We're goin' to Frisko baby!" cried Phoebe.

* * *

(Present) 

They wiped their eyes from the tears that formed after laughing so hard. "Man, I hope Joey and Chandler are having as much fun as we are! Aren't they at Joey's set?" giggled Monica.

Joey and Chandler were on the set of Joey's new movie, "Forever", which was the sequel to his previous movie, "You Are Mine." The stage crew was working around the clock trying to get it ready for the new filming the following week.

"Man Joe! This is so cool!"

"Yep, tell me 'bout it!"

Just then, Steven Spielberg walked up to Joey and said hi. Chandler gawked at him, completely amazed.

"Oh my God! Do you know who you are!" Chandler was beside himself.

Joey laughed awkwardly. "Sorry about that Steven, he uh...he didn't take his medication this morning." Steven Speilberg laughed politely and shook Chandler's hand.

"Lookin' forward to seein' you next week Joey. It's gonna be a great shoot."

"Sure thing Steven." And with that, Steven Spielberg walked away.

"Jurassic Park rules!" cried Chandler. Steven turned around to glance at him and smiled. Joey looked at Chandler and laughed. His laughter faded with a sad memory. He slightly frowned.

"Hey, remember how we used to tease Ross...about dinosaurs and stuff...he was so into that..."

"Yeah," replied Chandler obviously uncomfortable. "Well, sometimes people change Joe..."

"I know...I just..." Joey paused, "I just never thought that he would..."

"Me neither Joe, me neither..."

* * *

(Cuts back to 5 years, 8 months earlier)

"Hey man, chill out. This will be cleared. Your dad is innocent!" reassured Joey on the phone. Joey had just found out and called him. Ross had been stressed ever since he found out his dad was arrested two days ago.

"Joey I know that...YOU know that...but the damn Jury won't know that!"

"Ross man...seriously...you're doing the best you can...you just, you need to have faith man..."

Ross sighed. "I know...I know..."

"So tell me about the new evidence that came up."

"Okay, so basically, the weekend my dad went to that seminar in Jersey, my mom went to go stay with her sister. Basically no one was home."

"Yeah, go on..."

"And my dad was gonna drive the Porsche up, but he decided against it 'cuz the snow was getting heavy...My mom didn't know this. She thought he took the car with him...so now my dad doesn't have a liable alibi."

"What do you mean?"

"On Monday morning the police got an anonymous tip from a pay phone a couple miles away from my parents' house. The caller said that on Sunday, he saw a Porsche, with my dad's license plate. He said he saw my dad get out, grab the little girl and drive away. And apparently there are no other witnesses..."

"What! That's impossible! Your dad was at Jersey for that seminar thing!"

Ross's frustrations were starting to show again as he agreed with his friend. "I know Joe! That's what pisses me off! Except my dad only signed in for the seminar on the Saturday he got there! The body was discovered on Monday morning in an empty field about a half hour from my parents' place, and the autopsy said she had been killed 17 hours prior to her discovery! The police assume my dad had time to drive back home and 'murder' this little girl without anyone knowing!" Ross vented into the phone.

Joey's voice softened. "Hey man...you don't have to tell me anymore, okay? I don't want you to get worked up about it again..."

Ross tried to calm down. "No, it's okay Joe...I need to tell you the whole story so you and Pheebs can testify..." Ross took a deep breath. "The worst part is that they found a knife and one of my Dad's old argyle sweaters. Both items were completely bloodstained, tied up in a plastic bag and thrown into the trunk of the Porsche. My dad swears he thought he lost that sweater! Even my mom didn't remember seeing it around for almost a year."

"Damn...there are some sick people in this world, Ross...I just...I just, I can't tell you how sorry I am...and we all KNOW your dad...we know he's not capable of anything like this! I mean sexual abuse! Murder! Come on now!"

"I'm glad you're there for me, man."

"You know it."

"I'll give you a call in a few days..."

"Sure...hey, Ross...take care of yourself and Rach kay? And your mom and Monica too..."

"Done..."

* * *

(Present)

"Dude, quit bummin' me out..." mumbled Chandler.

"I can't help it...geez, we haven't talked about him for so long...I miss Ross man..."

"Yeah, I know Joe. Me too..." Chandler was having a hard time talking about him.

"Sometimes, yah know, I wonder if like-if things would've been different if that guy confessed before his dad was...you know..." Joey swallowed hard.

"I dunno Joe...I mean, by then, Ross had already changed A LOT..." Chandler and Joey stop walking around. "Geez, is it just me or do you feel like a drink?"

"Yeah I need one too. Let's go to my trailer..."

* * *

(4 years, 11 months earlier)

Jack's funeral had just ended. The gang was gathered in the living room, along with a few other "faithful" family members. A lot of relatives on Judy's side cut ties with them as soon as they heard he had been convicted. It was a disgrace to have a criminal in their family, let alone a murderer and a child molester. Monica was quietly crying on Chandler's lap as he embraced her. Judy was being comforted by Rachel and Phoebe on a nearby sofa. Ross was continuously pacing back and forth while Joey watched, very concerned for his friend.

"Ross...calm down..." Ross didn't say anything. "I-I know you're still upset, but it's over, man...you did the best you could..."

"Back off Joe! You have NO idea how I'm feeling right now!" answered Ross angrily.

Joey wasn't afraid. He knew Ross wouldn't yell at him unless he was hurting really badly. He just wanted Ross to not be so hard on himself. "Ross, please...you need to be strong...if not for yourself, for Monica and your mother..." Ross stopped and glared hard at Joey. Then he hastily turned around and walked out the door, slamming it as he left. Joey sighed.

Outside, Ross had his fists clenched. He needed to hit something. Hell no, he wanted to kill something. Or somebody. His dad was innocent. He knew this. Someone had framed him. And because he never found out who it was in time, his dad paid the real killer's debt. Not only did the jury convict him, he was killed in jail. His inmates didn't like the reason why he was in there. A lot of them had children of their own, and knowing Jack murdered a little girl, didn't faze them too well. So, sadly enough, about a week after he had been in prison, they ganged up on him one day before lunch and beat him until he died. He was killed in jail and he was killed wrongly. And Ross never forgave himself for not finding out who framed him.

Just then his thoughts were interrupted by the subtle sound of a phone ringing from inside. He went in to answer it and found Joey already at the receiver.

"Umm, Mrs. Gellar and Monica are busy at the moment and Ross – Oh, never mind he just came in..." Joey handed Ross the phone.

"Yeah, this is Ross...morning DA Felder..." he said wearily. After a few moments, his eyes widened. "What the fuck! He-he did! Are-Are you positive!" His screams grabbed everyone's attention. "Another key?...Knew about the seminar?...He had the sweater!...That son of a bitch!"

They all looked up at him as to ask, 'What's going on?'

Ross couldn't believe what he was hearing. "So you mean to tell me, he stole my dad's car because he knew where the spare key was hid!" Monica got up and walked over to him.

Ross turned away from his friends and family to face the wall. "How the HELL were there NO FINGERPRINTS!" There was a slight pause. "That's why the fucker wouldn't testify!" Hot streams of water flooded his eyes and began to rapidly run down his cheeks.

"So, so what finally made the asshole confess?" Ross was in complete anguish. "Well can I come down?" He wanted to kill the guy. He wanted him dead.

"I see...no-no, I understand..." Another slight pause. "I-I don't think it would've done me much good anyway...Umm...well thanks for calling...yeah I'll come by tomorrow for the paperwork..." He hung up the phone. Still crying, he turned back to face his friends who are all now crying much harder too. Even though they didn't hear the other side of the conversation, they knew what had happened. Rachel slowly stood up to ask,

"Ross...who did it?"

The room began to spin. His heart was twisted with grief and he couldn't speak. After months and months of anticipation, his prayers were finally answered...but they were answered too late. His dad was dead.

DA Felder just told him that after finding out Ross's dad died, the real perpetrator went insane with guilt. His daughter called the DA's office and confessed. Ross was going to vomit. He came back to reality and hoarsely voiced…

"Dr. Richard Burke..." and ran for the bathroom.

* * *

(Present)

"Hey Joe aren't we supposed to meet the girls to go eat?" asked Chandler.

"Oh yeah...oh crap! I forgot to make the reservations!" Joey and Chandler fumbled with their cell phones.

Back at the church, the girls were lost in conversation before Monica realized how late it was getting. "What time are the guys meeting us for lunch?" asked Monica.

"Oh umm, I think around 1PM. Joey made us reservations at Chef Ming."

"Oh okay, so we're only going to be 30 minutes late," she teased. "So back to the good stuff, how does it feel to have a platinum album?" asked Rachel excitedly.

"Oh it's the best! Hey-hey! Did I tell you guys they're coming out with a doll of me! Yeah! Oh and I start my tour after the honeymoon, which is actually perfect timing because he starts filming." Phoebe explained.

"Aww Pheebs," answered Rachel. "You two have really got it made." Ariel started to sing the smelly cat song while still skipping. The girls sweetly giggled at the sight of Rachel's daughter.

Suddenly, Ariel's incessant song and dance was halted. She saw a familiar man standing beneath a sycamore tree a few yards away. She squinted her eyes to see if she was imagining him. She wasn't. She smiled animatedly and tugged at her mother's sleeve from the opposite direction Rachel was facing.

"Mommy..."started Ariel. "It's Daddy..."

To Be Continued... Part 3 stops there for now...


	4. A few last words...

The Story of Faith 4: A few last words...

Disclaimer: My birthday was about a month ago and when I blew the candles from my cake, I wished to own these characters. Obviously, as you can see, my wish didn't come true! Grr...

"Mommy..."started Ariel. "It's Daddy..." The girls were still pretty much engrossed in conversation. Rachel briefly glanced at Ariel.

"Ariel, sweetie, don't pull mommy's shirt. What did we say about interrupting grown ups?"

"But Mommy, it's Daddy!" she pleaded excitedly. She pointed over to where the man was standing, who now had a smile on his face. He held out his arms to her. Ariel laughed with delight and ran to him.

She heaved a sigh as she turned around to call to her daughter, "Honey, your Daddy's in New-"

Rachel stopped breathing. She quickly stood up, completely stunned at the sight before her. "Oh my God..."she exhaled. Ross lifted Ariel off the ground and into his arms.

"Oh my God..." gasped Monica and Phoebe. Rachel glanced at Monica and Phoebe blankly. Their faces were completely dumbstruck. Monica looked like she saw a ghost. Phoebe's mouth gaped open.

"That-that can't be...I mean...it is but...wow, this is unbelievable!" whispered Phoebe.

"What-what is he doing here?" breathed Monica.

"Sweetie I-I uh, I don't know..." Rachel stammered. She shrugged her shoulders, just as bewildered as them, composed herself and slowly walked over to Ross.

"What are you doing here?" Rachel asked coolly.

"I umm...I don't know...I guess I came to see Ariel..." he answered unsurely. He looked at his daughter to see her smiling angelically at him.

Rachel narrowed her eyes. Trying to be as polite as possible in front of Ariel, she asked, "How'd you know where we were?"

"Umm, my mom gave me Phoebe's number. One of the maids who answered the phone said you were at the church and gave me the address."

"Daddy wut you bringed me?" Ariel asked innocently.

"Umm, nothing right now pumpkin, but I can get you something later..." his voice trailed off when he met Rachel's annoyed gaze. "Sweetie, let me talk to your Mommy, okay? Go back to your Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Monica."

"'kay..." Ross let her down and she ran to her Aunts.

"Rach, we'll take her to the park down the street. Call my cell when you're, umm, done..." called Phoebe. Before she turned around to follow Phoebe and Ariel, Monica gave her brother a deathly, cold stare. Ross knew what that look meant. He had given her the same one a few years earlier.

Rachel turned to face him, a lot more collected than she had been a few moments ago. "So seriously, what are you doing here?"

He realized he created this confrontation, but he didn't know how to handle it. "I told you..." he looked down and put his hand on his temple. Rachel sensed he was tired. "I-I guess I just really wanted to see my daughter..."

"Wait a minute, so you flew clear across country because you had a sudden urge to be with your daughter, but you won't drive 20 miles when you can see her everyday?"

"If you want to look at it that way..." He was still looking at the ground.

"What made you suddenly want to see her? Was it because of our fight last night? You think this one visit is going to make up for all the times you weren't there?" Rachel tried hard to refrain herself from yelling.

"Hey I'm here now and that's what matters!"

"Don't expect a medal or anything Ross."

"God Rach! I don't!" He sighed exasperatedly. "Rachel, I'm trying..." he mumbled, pleading.

"You should have been trying this entire time..."

They shared an awkward silence.

Ross spoke up, "I didn't know Monica was pregnant."

"Of course you didn't. How would you know seeing as how you haven't spoken to her for over three years," she replied coldly.

"Give me a break Rachel! My father's death devastated me! I was losing my mind!"

"And still are I see."

He threw up his hands. "Forget it! I don't even know why I'm bothering..."

"Well then that makes the both of us!"

He eyed her wildly. "You're never going to let this go are you? Whatever I do, or say, you're just going to keep arguing with me!"

"Hell Ross, you should be used to this kind of treatment. You argue for a living!"

"That is NOT fair Rachel!"

"Excuse me! I'm being unfair! You were the one yelling at ME last night because I came to MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING! Oh wait, you don't have friends anymore, so how could I have possibly expected you to understand." she spat icily.

That last remark stung. He tried not to show it and turned away before he said, "You caught me off guard, that's all. And you're right I shouldn't have yelled..."

"What? Is this some kind of reverse psychology b.s. you're tryin' to pull! I'm not some guilty witness on a stand, Ross. You can't play your 'lawyer' games with me!"

His tone softened. He had a lot of time to think on the plane. He was wrong for yelling at Rachel the previous night. He realized that now. He turned back to look at her. Sincerely he said, "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

Rachel kept her mouth open, ready for retaliation, but nothing came out. Did she hear right? Rachel was speechless. It took her a few seconds to let the words sink in. She paused before her tone softened as well. "That's umm...well…thank you..."

"I guess I just..." he ran his fingers through his hair. "I hated the idea of you guys leaving...without saying anything to me..."

"It's not like we ran away Ross..."

"I know...I just...I don't know...It's hard for me to explain."

"Please try..." Rachel herself was trying very hard to understand him; to find a common ground. She still didn't completely trust his intentions for flying to California, but she needed to find some kind of faith that there was goodness left in Ross...for the sake of her little girl.

"Well, I was so busy with work last week...I kind of isolated myself from all personal matters including phone calls and-"

"Wait, so you purposely avoided my calls? Why'd you lie to me?" She didn't want faith anymore, she wanted a restraining order. "You accused me of lying when you knew I wasn't!"

"Hey, you know how important my work is to me!"

"Oh yeah, how could I forget?" she asked sarcastically. "...but exactly what PART of your job is important, Ross! Your bottomless bank account filled with dirty money? The early morning drug fests? The new slut each night?"

"You have NO idea what you're talking about Rachel!"

"No of course I don't! I'm always wrong aren't I, Mr. Self- Righteous? You don't even care about whether or not your clients are really innocent anymore! It's like you forgot about the real reason you decided to become a lawyer in the first place Ross!"

"Stop right there..." he hissed warningly.

She couldn't stop. It was out of her control. Years and years of frustration built up inside her were over flowing and she was finally letting herself go. "How do you sleep at night knowing you fight to keep criminals FREE in the same world where you expect your daughter to grow up? What would your dad say if he saw you like this Ross!" The words escaped her lips before she had time to consider them.

"Stop it Rachel! I DON'T NEED TO HEAR THIS!"

"Who else is going to say this to you? There IS nobody else Ross! You're completely alone! And you want to know why? Because you are incapable of letting ANYBODY love you!"

"HEY! Ariel loves me!"

Her eyes were wild. "Are you sure about that? How do you know? Because she expects presents from you? Because she still calls you Daddy? You're lucky she doesn't understand the TRUE concept of a father yet! She doesn't see you as someone who loves her, protects her, or who even takes care of her! You're a dollar sign! And now suddenly you want to just come back into her life whenever you feel like it? Like you never even left?"

"You're the one who left ME Rachel! You're the one who turned away and left!" Ross trembled. He looked away from her, frustrated, angry, and incredibly hurt.

Memories and a sad mixture of feelings swept through her heart. Her rage quickly vanished. For the first time in her life, she wasn't angry at Ross...she felt sorry for him.

She slowly shook her head, having never seen things more clearly. "You're wrong, Ross...I never left you." She lifted up his face with her hands so that they were directly looking into each other's eyes.

"The day your dad died, you left me...I just let you go..."

He stared into her eyes for what seemed like forever. Ross didn't know what to say to that. Her words...they weren't just painful accusations...they were the truth.

For the first time in over 3 years, Ross felt his eyes water. He took her hands off his face and turned away again. After a few short breaths, with this head still turned, he finally spoke.

"This was a bad idea..."

She felt guilty, but she knew he deserved it. She uttered sadly, "Maybe this was..." Ross walked off leaving Rachel underneath the sycamore.

An hour later Ross had circled the block about twice already. He didn't know where to go. Besides, this wasn't like the City. San Jose didn't have many cabs.

He was staring hard at the ground trying to figure out how everything had changed. He knew that since his dad was arrested, something came over him. That's why he decided to become a lawyer. Ross wanted to save innocent lives and put away those who were truly guilty...He wanted to be a lawyer to save other families like his...Or, at least that's how he started out. Now he wished he pursued his "dinosaur freak" career. Then again, he wondered how that really would have changed anything. He was completely lost in thought that he almost walked into the pathway of a moving SUV. A Priest not far from him saw and pulled Ross out of the road.

"Woah, son..." said the elderly man in a black ensemble.

"Oh-oh my God," Ross stuttered. "I mean, thank you, your-your..." He tried to think. "Your priestness, Sir?"

The Father laughed. "It's okay, son. You can call me Kevin."

He paused for a moment to get back to reality. "Oh, I'm Ross." They shake hands. "Well...umm...well, thanks for stopping me."

"You seem to be a little distraught...Well, much distraught if you didn't see what you were walking into."

"Yeah, well, I mean...I dunno..." Ross's voice trailed off. He was a little uncomfortable talking to the Priest.

"Hey..." He said softly. "I'm not here to make you feel uncomfortable, or to judge you. If you want to talk, to get some things off your chest, I'm the person to talk to..." He smiled warmly at Ross. Ross realized he wasn't going anywhere anyway, nor did he actually HAVE anybody to talk to...maybe it would do him some good…

"Okay well, I mean, there's a lot on my mind right now..." They went over and sat on a bench. "I don't know where to start..." he answered truthfully.

"Wherever you feel comfortable," said the Priest. Ross took a few moments to think.

"I uh, I guess when I found out about my dad..."

Time Lapse of about a half hour

"I'm sorry about your father, Ross." Ross didn't reply. He knew he meant it, but it just wasn't enough..."So, you don't talk to any of your friends anymore? Not even your sister?"

"Since then, I-I guess I kind of pushed them away...I didn't mean to but, I just always wanted to be alone...well, I mean there's more to that though..."

"Nobody should have to suffer alone, Ross...friends and family are there for support, not to make you feel worse..."

"Yeah well, that's not even the worst of it...after I found out my ex- girlfriend, Rachel, was pregnant, I flipped..."

* * *

(Cuts back to 4 years, 5 months earlier) 

Richard had been convicted and was sent to a mental institution. Rachel had been spending a lot more time with her assistant, Mark, mainly because he was the only one who wasn't involved with the whole "incident". Rachel liked having a friend to talk to who didn't get depressed every other minute. It kept her sane.

It was around 1AM when Ross walked through the door, apparently a little drunk. He heard gagging noises coming from the toilet. Curious, he went to see what was going on. From the doorway, he saw Rachel, kneeling down in front of the bowl, one hand keeping her hair up. She didn't notice Ross was home.

"What, are you sick or something?" slurred Ross.

Even with the odor from her vomit, she could smell the alcohol on his breath. "No, Ross...I'm uh, I'm just a little queasy." She tried to stay as calm as possible. She knew his temper when he was drunk. "It's late. You should get to bed."

Unfortunately, Ross had been drunk quite often lately. He tried to drown his sorrows and the stress from law school with alcohol. It wasn't working and it was just hurting him, especially Rachel...

"I don't need you to tell me what to do!" he yelled.

She jumped a little. Quietly she said, "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Just uh, let me wash myself..."

"Yeah you need to 'cuz you obviously don't look good." With those words, Rachel began to cry. It was too much and she was just too vulnerable. She tried to hide it by turning her face away, but Ross noticed.

"Why the hell are you crying! That's all you've been doing lately, you know that! Geez, grow some skin!"

"Ross..." whispered a sniffling Rachel. "I'm-I'm pregnant..." Ross looked at her intently, trying to see if it was a joke. It wasn't.

"Oh my, my God...are-are you sure?"

"Yeah...I uh, I went to the doctor's this morning. I'm about a month pregnant..." Ross became very silent. Eerily silent. Rachel didn't know what to do. He didn't seem happy or sad...just expressionless.

Finally, she spoke up again. "Well, I mean, you're-you're gonna be a daddy...I mean, isn't that wonderful?" Ross's face fumed up.

"How the hell do I even know it's mine?"

Rachel did not expect that. "What?" she breathed.

"You've been spending an awful lot of time with that 'Mark.' How do I know it's not his? How do I know that you haven't been cheating on me?"

"Ross..." pleaded Rachel, now sobbing. "I didn't cheat on you! I never-ever have I swear! Mark and I are just friends! Believe me!"

"Yeah well, I don't know who to believe anymore. Dr. Burke was my dad's BEST FRIEND! And then he goes and..." Ross drunkenly spat.

"Ross...come on okay, I love you! I love you more than anything on this earth! And I know this probably isn't going into your head because you're drunk, but-"

"Hey! I am NOT drunk!" Ross slammed the bathroom door, leaving a crying Rachel completely in disarray. What was supposed to be one of the most precious moments in her life, turned out to be one of the worst. The queasiness that had subsided returned. She lifted the toilet seat and hovered her face over it.

* * *

(Cuts back to present)

"I see..." said the Priest.

"Yeah, I mean...I was so stupid! It's like, like I didn't know what the truth was anymore...and I ended up doing a lot of stupid things...like drinking...and then one of the guys in my class invited me over to study one night, and we ended up snorting coke..." Ross stared at his hands. "I can't believe I put her through all of that...now I know why she hates me so much..."

"Hate is a very strong word, Ross."

"Yeah I know...but I really think she does. You should have heard her yelling at me earlier. And, and my daughter...I completely screwed things with her..."

"Ross, I know this might sound cliché, but it's never too late..."

"Kevin, sometimes it is..."

"Of course there are instances in our life when we feel as though things have completely gone wrong...as though the universe is being incredibly unfair...and the people who we once knew to love us so much turn around and stab our backs...but unfortunately, that's what life is, my friend...and you shouldn't let one person ruin your only chance at happiness..." Ross listened to Father Kevin intently. "Sometimes...things happen for a reason...you don't need to be a firm believer in God to understand that. Life throws us trials that we're suppose to overcome to make us stronger, no matter how unfair the trials seem to be...There is nothing I can say to bring your father back...but Rachel and your daughter are still here. So are your other friends and family. The time that is wasted that you can use to make amends, you can only blame yourself..."

"I don't know how to win her back...this isn't easy..." whispered Ross.

"Of course not Son! But what exactly in life is easy? This isn't about winning, Ross. It's about you admitting you were wrong, and letting yourself be loved...and learning to love in return. Openly. Honestly. Trustingly." Ross put his hands to his face and began to cry for the second time that day.

The Priest sat there patiently for a few moments before he spoke. "You need to have faith, Ross..."

Ross slowly looked up and into the Priest's eyes at the sound of those familiar words. But he didn't see Father Kevin there. He saw Chandler, and Monica, and Joey, and Phoebe...and Rachel... He nodded his head, unable to speak. Father Kevin continued, "I'm going to go into my office to call a cab for you. What hotel are you staying at?"

"The Fairmont..."

Father Kevin turned back to face Ross one more time before he walked away. "Ross, it's not about what we don't have in life that matters... it's about what we do have..." Father Kevin walked toward the church and left Ross on the bench alone.

"And I have nothing..." A single tear slid down his cheek.

"You have me..." Ross lifted his head, taken aback by who was standing before him.

To Be Continued...


	5. Forgiveness is a Blessing

The Story of Faith 5: Forgiveness is a blessing...

Disclaimer: I own Ariel. Oh! And Father Kevin...figuratively speaking. Nobody else.

After the heated argument she and Ross had, Rachel began making her way toward the park. Rachel flipped open her cell phone and dialed Phoebe's number. "Hey..."

"Oh my goodness, Rach, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay...I'm not sure about him though..."

"Well what happened?"

"I'd rather tell you guys in person."

"Right. Well, just turn left at the corner of the church and walk straight down. You'll see a park ahead. We're on the swing sets on the right."

"Okay, I'll see you in a few minutes." Rachel turned off her phone and began to walk towards the park. Just as they hung up, Phoebe's phone rang again.

"Hey sweetie...uh, look...I kinda forgot to make us reservations-" began Joey.

Phoebe abruptly cut him off, "Ross is here."

"What!" exclaimed Joey. Chandler watched his eyes widen.

"What's going on? Is Monica okay? How's the baby!" asked Chandler worriedly. Joey swallowed the lump in his throat before he turned to look at him.

"No, no it's not that," he whispered hoarsely. "Ross is here..." Chandler's face went white.

"What do you mean, 'here'! Are they sure?"

"Hold on, lemme finish talkin' to Pheebs." He focused his attention on the phone. "Okay, what's going on?"

"Just come to Evergreen park. We'll tell you everything once you guys get here..."

"Alright, we're on our way."

About 10 minutes later, everyone except for Ross was there at the park, sitting at a picnic table. Ariel was playing in the sand a few yards away, and Rachel was watching her, her mind elsewhere.

"Okay Rach, we're all here...what happened?" asked Monica. Rachel snapped back to reality and took a deep breath.

"Well, umm...he said he came to see Ariel..."

"Why?" asked Phoebe.

"I don't know...I guess, I guess he felt threatened or something...like we were going to run away..."

"But you're here on vacation!"

"That's what I told him..." she sighed miserably. "I don't know..." her voice trailed. She stared out into the trees that surrounded them for a moment before she continued. "There was...something different about him today..." she began.

"What do you mean?" asked Chandler.

"When he said he came to be with his daughter...I believed him..." she answered.

"That doesn't make sense..." said Joey. "I mean, he can see her all the time! He just chooses not to!"

"I know...that's what confuses me..." Rachel put her hand to her head and began to rub her temples.

"Maybe...maybe he's finally realizing how stupid he's been..." began Phoebe.

"Oh Pheebs! Come on! After nearly four years of keeping us out of his life and ignoring his responsibility as a father, you think he just woke up and suddenly realized, 'hey, I think I should start growing up today!'" asked Monica bitterly.

"Monica that's not what I'm saying..." Phoebe replied. "I'm just saying that it must have taken something DRASTIC for him to fly all the way over here..." They all became silent.

After a few minutes of thinking, Chandler broke it. "Are we going to forgive him?" he asked quietly.

"What?" cried Monica. "We don't even know if he's here because he's sorry!"

"Well what if he is?" began Chandler defensively. His voice softened after receiving a glare from Monica. "I mean...Mon, he's your brother..."

"Correction, he WAS my brother!"

"Monica, he was one of our best friends..." mumbled Joey. "I just think we should at least hear what he has to say..." Monica glared at them skeptically. Rachel and Phoebe remained quiet.

"How can you easily just forgive him!" she asked, her eyes brimming with tears. "I mean, he has hurt us SO much! I can't...I can't just pretend nothing happened! My dad's death killed me too! But at least I didn't let it ruin my life and the lives of those I loved!"

"Monica..." whispered Phoebe. "Maybe...he just wasn't as strong as you..." Monica sulkily wiped her face.

"Yeah well...I can't be there to let him come back again to just hurt me. I trusted him more than anybody! He's my family! And when I needed him the most...he pushed me away..." She shook her head resentfully. "What comes around, goes around..." She got up, about to walk away.

"Wait, where are you going?" asked Chandler.

"I need to take a walk..."

"But-but you shouldn't be on your feet! And you don't know you're way around here!"

"Chandler I'm only 4 months pregnant and I'm going around the block. I have my cell on me. I just want to walk off some steam for a few minutes."

"Okay..." he said unsurely. He was worried about her, but he knew it was best to not argue. They sat in silence. Rachel's mind was cluttered.

"I'm afraid to talk to him again..." she finally said.

"What? Why?" asked Chandler.

"Chandler you should have been there! I mean...augh!" she vented frustratingly. "The expression on his face...his eyes...they were so sad...and full of regret...I just, I was so angry at him! I kept yelling...I just wanted him to know how badly he hurt me...but, the entire time I felt my heart twisting. I swear...he wasn't the obnoxious stranger who replaced Ross after Jack died...I saw the old Ross...MY Ross...and that scares me so much!"

"Because you're not completely over him...right?" asked Phoebe.

"I don't know..." she mumbled, near tears. "My daughter is the most important person in my life. I mean...I just can't let him hurt me and Ariel anymore...we ended all of that nearly four years ago..." she exhaled heavily.

"But I promised..." she whimpered. "I promised..." She couldn't finish.

Joey got up and went to the other side of the table to hold her. "You promised what, sweetie?"

"When Ross and I first started dating..." she said through tears, "we exchanged promise rings...I wore mine on my finger, and he wore his around his neck on a chain..."

"So that was what it was!" exclaimed Chandler, remembering. "Yeah! I used to bug him about it all the time! The only thing he'd ever say though, was that it meant forgiveness..."

Rachel nodded. "We promised each other that no matter what...whatever we did...we'd find a way to forgive each other...because we couldn't imagine not being together..."

"That was a pretty intense promise, Rach," said Chandler.

"I know..." she sighed. "But we were so in love...and so naïve...but I guess that's why it was so hard for me to leave the first time..."

"Rachel, you had to leave..." said Phoebe sympathetically. "He changed so much by then..."

"I know Pheebs...and when I left, I told myself that it was for good...Ariel needed to be in a loving environment...my life with Ross was far from that..." She gently wiped her eyes. "Monica's right. I can't go back to that. As much as I'd want him to be, he isn't the Ross I fell in love with. He is welcome to spend as much time with Ariel as he wants. He's her father...and that's it."

Somewhere near the park Monica was walking past the church, still very upset, when she overheard two male voices speaking a few yards ahead. As she got closer, she noticed one of them was Father Kevin, Phoebe and Joey's minister. She couldn't see the other man's face, though. His back was facing her. She shrugged it off and kept walking, until she recognized the voice...

"I uh, I guess when I found out about my dad...my life fell apart...I just, I didn't know how to handle it...I ended up hurting everyone I loved, including Rachel...but especially my sister...Monica and I had this incredible bond...we weren't like other brothers and sisters...I mean, even though I was VERY protective, and she bugged me like little sisters were supposed to, we never fought...I mean REALLY fought...we weren't just siblings, we were best friends...until my dad died."

Monica stopped in her tracks after hearing what the man said. She knew it was Ross. Not knowing what to do, she hid by the side of the church, sitting down on a step that led to a basement, still listening intently on every word.

"...This isn't about winning, Ross. It's about you admitting you were wrong, and letting yourself be loved...and learning to love in return. Openly. Honestly. Trustingly." Monica heard Ross cry. She felt her heart break as she began to cry herself. After a few moments of silence, she heard Father Kevin speak again. "You need to have faith, Ross..." Those words...those familiar, simple words pushed her over the edge. Monica covered her mouth, trying so hard to fight back her sobs. She had heard the entire conversation...from how he changed after her dad died, his reaction to Rachel's pregnancy, and why he had flown to California...and now she finally understood how he felt. After four years, Ross finally confided in someone...Why did it take him so long?

"Ross, it's not about what we don't have in life that matters... it's about what we DO have..." Father Kevin walked toward the church and left Ross on the bench alone.

"And I have nothing..." Monica got up from where she was sitting and went over to Ross. He was crying into his hands, facing the ground. She knew she still loved her brother, and now she knew he still loved her. She was ready to forgive him.

"You have me..." she whispered through tears. Ross lifted his head, taken aback by who was standing before him.

"Monica?" he asked quietly, his eyes wet and red. She slowly nodded her head and broke a smile. Ross couldn't believe what was happening. He got up quickly to embrace his sister, uncontrollable sobs releasing from his mouth...a large heavy burden released from his heart. "Mon-Monica..." he stuttered through tears. "I'm so sorry, Mon! I'm so-so sorry!"

"Sshh..." she rubbed his back soothing him. "It's okay, Ross. It's okay. I forgive you..." she murmured, her eyes wetting his shoulder. They stayed embraced for a long while.

After about a half hour since Monica left, Chandler began to worry. She wasn't back yet. He walked away from the picnic table to call her. He pulled out his phone and dialed her cell. Nobody answered. His worrying deepened. He dialed again. After a few rings, she finally picked up.

"Yeah..." Monica answered wearily.

"Hey honey..." said Chandler carefully. He didn't know if she was still mad. "I was just getting a little worried. Are you okay?"

"Yeah Chandler..." her voice was frail. "Umm...I'm with Ross..." His mouth opened but nothing came out. He was very, very surprised. "Hello?" asked Monica.

"I'm-I'm sorry. Did I hear right?"

"Yeah...look, it's a long story...just tell everyone to go back to Phoebe and Joey's. Don't tell them I'm with Ross...just say I took a cab to the mall or something."

"Uh..." Chandler was incredibly confused. "Okay..."

"Honey..." eased Monica, "Trust me, okay? Everything's fine...I'll call you in a few hours." Her voice sounded surprisingly calm to him. Chandler knew she wasn't in danger, but he was still very confused.

"Are-are you sure?"

"Yes sweetie. I love you, Chandler."

"I love you too..." After he hung up he stood, staring blankly into the sky. Finally, he walked back to the gang. "Uh, I called Monica and apparently she took a cab to the mall."

"What?" asked Rachel.

"Yup...well, you know how stubborn Monica can be."

"Yeah," the rest of them agreed.

"I guess we should go back home then..." said Joey. Rachel called to Ariel who was still busying herself in the sand. Then they left.

About an hour later back at Joey and Phoebe's, Rachel put Ariel down for a nap. Phoebe was going over the last details with her wedding planner, while Chandler and Joey watched a basketball game in the game room. She went into the backyard, admiring the beautiful decorations for the reception. She found herself at the far corner of the yard, walking up the steps of the gazebo. She sat down, and gazed out into the Valley. As she let out a breath, she felt herself get lost in memories.

_How do you love someone,  
That hurts you oh so bad?  
With intentions good,  
Was all he ever had?_

It was their first year anniversary. Ross hands her a box, tied with a purple ribbon. "What is it?" asked Rachel curiously.

"Open it and see..." She did so and took out 2 white gold bands. She saw they were inscripted and read it out loud.

"I promise..." She looked up at Ross confused.

He kissed her softly and said, "It means, I promise you that no matter what...you and I will find a way to be together..."

_  
But how do I let go when I've,  
Loved him for so long and I've,  
Given him all that I could?  
Maybe love is a hopeless crime,  
Giving up what seems your lifetime,  
What went wrong with something once so good?_

"I can't believe this is our very own apartment!" Rachel squealed excitedly as she walked through the doorway with a suitcase in her hand.

"I know!" Ross exclaimed, just as excited.

"I'm going to miss college! I can't believe all of this is ending so quickly!"

"No, Rach...this is just the beginning..."

_How do you find the words to say,  
To say goodbye?  
When your heart don't have the heart to say,  
To say goodbye?_

"Ross...can you help me put the star on the tree?" asked Rachel as she finished decorating their apartment for Christmas.

"Sure sweetie." He brought out a ladder and placed the twinkling ornament on top of the tree.

"Perfect..." Rachel smiled. "Make a wish!" Ross smiled back.

"Don't need to..." he started. "It already came true..."

_  
I know now I was naïve.  
Never knew where this would lead.  
And I'm not trying to take away,  
From the good man that he is._

"Ross...sweetie talk to me, please! Don't shut me out..." Ross just finished talking to his mother on the phone. His dad has been arrested.

"Rachel...please...I just, I just want to be alone..."

_  
But how do I let go when I've  
Loved him for so long and I've  
Given him all that I could?  
Was it something wrong that we did  
Because others infiltrated  
What went wrong with something once so good?_

(One night Ross came home very late. Rachel knew his last class ended six hours ago. When she called his cell earlier that day, he didn't pick up. So she stayed up, worrying. She noticed that he was walking staggered and his eyes drooped. "Ross? Are you, are you drunk?"

"What? Of course not! I don't drink!" he spat, very slurred and smelling strongly of alcohol.)

_How do you find the words to say,  
To say goodbye?  
When your heart don't have the heart to say,  
To say goodbye?_

"Where are you going?" Ross asked sternly.

"Umm, I'm just going to have lunch with Mark. Is that okay?"

"Does it matter?" he asked, irritated.

"Of course it matters! If it bothers you, I won't go," she answered simply.

"I don't care. Do what you want..." he replied crossly. Ross went into the bedroom and shut the door behind him.

_  
Is this the end, are you sure?  
How should you know when you've never been here before?  
It's so hard to just let go,  
When this is the one and only love I've ever known._

"Monica," began Rachel on the phone. Ross wasn't home and she was crying very hard. "I can't take this anymore...what's happened to us? He's never home! And when he is, he avoids me, or is yelling at me, or is too busy to care!"

"Rachel..." Monica tried to calm her down. "This is a tough time for him...for all of us...give him time...you guys will pull through...I mean, come on...it's you and Ross..."

"I think I'm pregnant..." Rachel murmured.

"Woah..." Monica swallowed hard. "Tell him. Maybe a baby will bring him back to life..."

_So how do you find the words to say,  
To say goodbye?  
When your heart don't have the heart to say,  
To say goodbye?_

Ross and Rachel were arguing. She was seven and a half months pregnant. "That is it!" she screamed. "I have had it Ross! I'm so tired of being the only person who gives a damn about this relationship! You don't even care that we're having a child!"

"Hey!" he boomed. "Nobody is forcing you to stay! Leave! I don't need you! I don't care what you do anymore anyway, Rachel!"

"What?" Rachel started to cry. "How can you say that? Haven't these past four years meant ANYTHING to you!" She quickly picked up her left hand to display the ring on her finger. "What about this, Ross? Huh? Does this mean NOTHING to you too!"

He looked at her hand, then turned away. "Yeah it does mean something..." he began. "It means we were a mistake..." Rachel stared at him in disbelief, before she turned around and walked out the door...

_So how do you find the words to say,_

_To say goodbye?_

The memories were too much to bear. Rachel let the liquid from her eyes run freely. She already said goodbye. She couldn't do it again. She sat in silence and looked blankly ahead for quite some time.

Back at The Fairmont Hotel, Ross and Monica were sitting in the lounge area, Ross sipping a bottle of water and Monica sipping a diet soda.

"Monica...I don't know..." whispered Ross unsurely as he looked down.

"Ross, look at me..." she told him. He looked up. "No matter what, you're going to have to face them sometime..."

"I know I just...it's been so long, you know? And this day has been crazy enough! I don't know if I can handle this..."

"Hey...you're not alone anymore, okay? Don't think that you have to go through this alone...and besides...I have a feeling that things will turn out okay...I mean, I was REALLY, REALLY pissed at you...but I realized, being a good friend means trying to understand, not blame...and trying to forgive, not ignore..." Ross smiled sincerely at his sister. "You're trying...and you ARE different. I see it in you...and I have faith in you..."

"Thank you..."

"I know..."

To be continued...

This Fic included the song, "Goodbye" by Alicia Keys.


	6. A Revelation

The Story of Faith 6:

Monica: I'm Rachel-I love Ross! I hate Ross! I love Ross! I hate Ross! (hehehe)

Disclaimer: (Me picking petals off a daisy) Mine. Not mine. Mine. Not Mine. Mine. Not Mine! Damn it!

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for your wedding..." said Ross. Monica and Ross were still talking in the lounge.

"Yeah well, it wasn't that big of a deal anyway. It was a small ceremony, not that many people were invited."

He stared at her suspiciously, "You were married in Vegas weren't you?"

"How'd you know!"

"We DO have the same bitter mother who wasn't invited or informed..."

"Haha...serves her right, believing that I wouldn't EVER marry or have kids. I proved HER wrong!"

Ross started to laugh, "Yeah, you did." His voice shifted. "Monica I want you to get married again..."

"What?" she asked in disbelief.

"No, I mean...I think you and Chandler should have a real ceremony, after your baby's born...you could renew your vows...you can invite everyone you love this time...and I could give you away...that is if you want."

"Monica's eyes watered as she heard her brother's words. "I hate that we lost over three years Ross...I missed you so much..."

"I realized I hated myself too. I've been thinking a lot, you know, especially on the plane ride here. It's amazing what kind of thoughts enter your head when you actually have time to think about something else besides defending an alleged criminal..."

"Yeah, well...I wouldn't really know."

Ross looked straight at Monica before he continued. "I'm quitting my job."

"What!" Her throat became very dry.

"Monica, I wasn't meant to be a lawyer. It-it doesn't make me happy. I just, got so caught up in it that...I don't know..."

Still shocked, Monica replied, "So what are you going to do?"

"I think I want to go back to school...and get my PhD..."

"In Paleontology!" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah..." he began. "Why? Is that weird or something?"

"Okay, you need to understand that before today I hated your guts. And now it's like you've finally seen the light or something and you've gone back into time to become my geeky older brother who's infatuated with dinosaurs!"

Ross laughed lightly.

He paused before he began, "There are a lot of things I wish I could go back and change, Mon, but I can't. I can only make right what is happening now. My life sucks! I'm barely 30 and my life SUCKS! I want to do something I love...and be with the people I love. I don't want to hurt you guys anymore than I have. I NEED to be a good father. Rachel was right, dad wouldn't be proud."

"Yeah, but like me...I'm sure he understands why you did it...I mean, it doesn't excuse ANY of it," Monica said with a stern face, "but I understand..." She thought about what Ross was telling Father Kevin. "You still love her, don't you?"

Right away, Ross understood she was referring to Rachel. He didn't want to talk about it, but knew he needed to. After all, it was Monica. He knew it would be okay. "I was in love with her from the first moment you introduced us, and it took me so long just to tell her that. And then...everything was perfect." He shook his head frustratingly. "I guess after dad died, I was just so messed up in the head, you know? I didn't know who to trust! I couldn't believe what Richard did to dad...and I pretended I didn't care about her anymore. I was so afraid that maybe someday, she'd betray me...but instead, it was actually me who betrayed her..." Ross sighed deeply. "That was the biggest mistake I ever made, Mon. She was nothing but faithful and completely understanding, and I..." It pained him to say these words. Monica gently laid her hand on his, urging him to continue. "I lied through my teeth when I told her we were a mistake...God, Monica! Why was I so stupid! I lost the best thing that ever happened to me...including my daughter." Monica kept caressing his hand.

"So you do still love her?" she said softly.

Ross took a long while to answer, "I haven't been in love with anybody else since then, but maybe it's because I just don't want to go through all that again..."

"Or maybe it's because you never stopped loving her."

Around 5pm that night, Monica finally went back to Joey and Phoebe's while Ross stayed at his hotel.

As soon as he saw her, Chandler ran up quickly to give her a hug and a kiss. "Tell me what happened," he whispered in her ear.

"Actually, I'm going to tell everyone what happened. And then we're meeting him for a late dinner." He broke the hug and looked at her bewildered.

"Okay, no offense but who the hell are you and what did you do to my bitter, stubborn, cynical wife?"

Monica kissed him softly before responding, "She's gone...She was never supposed to marry you..." she replied sweetly. "I was." Chandler smiled, still puzzled, but decided to trust her. "Go get everyone. I'm gonna get some iced tea." She said simply.

After about fifteen minutes, everyone was seated in the living room, their gazes fixed on Monica, anxiously awaiting what the fuss was about. Ariel was watching "The Little Mermaid" in the next room.

"I spent the afternoon with Ross." Monica braced herself for the gang's reaction.

NOBODY, besides Chandler of course, was expecting that.

"Did you...I mean...is he dead!" asked Phoebe afraid.

"No Phoebe! I spent a GOOD afternoon with Ross."

"Huh?" asked Joey. He threw up his hands to emphasize his confusion.

"That's what I said," agreed Chandler.

"You knew about this?" asked Rachel. Chandler nodded his head.

"But she wouldn't tell me anything else!" he said defensively.

"Maybe I should just tell you guys what happened," said Monica.

"Duh!" Phoebe said exasperatedly.

"Okay...well when I took that walk, I overheard him talking to Father Kevin," she began. "Basically I got scared, and umm, curious. I didn't want him to see me, but I wanted to know what was going on. So I hid and kinda eavesdropped. I must've been listening for over an hour…" They hung on every word, not wanting to miss a single detail. "I heard so much you guys...you were right Phoebe, something drastic did make him fly over here. It was a revelation..."

"I don't understand..." said Phoebe.

"Rachel, when you guys talked...did he yell at you for anything stupid?" asked Monica.

She narrowed her eyes trying to remember. "No...Actually I was the one doing most of the yelling. He even…he even apologized for yelling at me last night and Ross never apologizes. I mean, since we broke up he never apologized..."

"I never thought I'd say this again," started Monica. "But after hearing what he said today, and spending some time with him, I trust him. And I believe his intentions are good. I'm giving him a second chance."

"You thought you'd never say that? WE thought you'd never say that!" cried Joey.

"What exactly did he say!" Phoebe questioned.

"I can't really explain it to you. It would mean a lot more coming from him. That's why he wants to have a late dinner tonight back at his hotel at 8." Phoebe and Joey exchanged uneven glances as Chandler nodded his head understandingly. Rachel's face was unresponsive.

"I'm not going." She said simply.

"What? Rachel you NEED to go! Especially you!"

"Why!" she asked accusingly. "He hasn't proved ANYTHING to me! I'm not saying it's not okay for you guys to go, after all, he was your best friend and he's Monica's family. But it's NOT okay for me. It is just too much. If he wants my friendship, it's going to take a lot more than a conversation and a few sincere glances."

"Rachel..." begged Monica. "Please. He really, really wants to talk to you."

She shook her head stubbornly before looking back at Monica. She held her breath, "It's my turn to not care." Rachel got up and went upstairs. The room fell silent.

"Well, do you guys still want to go?"

"I think we should," said Phoebe supportively. "I mean, if what you're saying is true, then it would be the perfect wedding present..." Joey smiled at her before turning to Monica. He nodded his head agreeing.

Hours later, Ross sat at the dinner table, nervously fidgeting with his water glass, afraid of what was going to happen. The others hadn't arrived yet. It was only 7:50, but he decided to be early just in case. Luckily, the restaurant was pretty empty. After Monica left, he kept thinking about what he was going to tell them, especially Rachel, but he knew that it had to come from the heart. Feelings aren't supposed to be scripted. Suddenly, he overheard the Host behind him.

"Right this way Mrs. Bing." Ross quickly stood up and turned around to see Monica, Phoebe, Joey and Chandler coming towards him. No Rachel. No Ariel. He had a feeling she wouldn't come, but he was still very disappointed. As they approached him, he felt his heart race hysterically. Monica smiled warmly at him and touched his arm as she sat beside him. Ross sensed that Phoebe, Joey and Chandler felt incredibly uncomfortable. They gave him subtle smiles before they sat down.

"Your server will be right with you," said the host.

"Actually, can you tell him I'll call him when we're ready?"

"Of course, Sir."

"Thank you," said Ross. He waited for the host to leave before he continued. He cleared his throat before he began.

"Thanks for hearing me out guys. I umm, I know Monica probably told you why I asked you to meet me here...but I," he found his voice trembling and looked down at his water glass. "I know there's nothing I can really say to justify how much of a Jerk I've been for the past few – many years." He looked up to see Monica nodding her head encouragingly. "I can't take back how awful I was to you. But I want to so badly. I lost someone I loved very much, and instead of embracing those who were still here...I turned my back..." Ross bit his lip to fight from crying. "I'm not expecting you guys to just turn around and forgive me...I just." The tears were inevitable. "God, I can't do this..."

"Yes you can..." whispered Phoebe. Ross smiled at her gratefully with glistening eyes.

"I just need you guys to know how sorry I am..." he managed to say. "And to know after all this time I still consider you my family...and that I love you very, very much..." Phoebe began to cry as well. "Please give me another chance..." Chandler felt his heart soften. "It was my fault I missed the birth of my child...and my fault I missed my sister's wedding...and my fault I wasn't invited to Phoebe and Joey's wedding." Joey cleared his throat subtly, trying to stay conformed. "I don't want to have anymore regrets because of my stupid, ignorant pride..." Everyone continued to listen. "Last night, after getting off the phone with Rachel, I realized I wasn't angry at her for bringing Ariel here, I was angry at myself for not being responsible enough to know where the hell my daughter was... and I got scared and incredibly jealous"

"Jealous? Why?" asked Joey.

"You two are getting married!" He cried out. "I mean, that is a HUGE deal! And I was missing it...again." He exhaled heavily. Monica leaned over to him and put her arm around his shoulder, gently rubbing his back. "The point is...I'm nothing without you guys...you are the most important people in my life, including Rach and Ariel...and no matter how long it takes, I'm going to prove this to you." The table fell nervously silent.

"That was a good start..." whispered Phoebe, wiping her face.

"I agree," nodded Joey.

"Now I know why Monica forgave you so easily," said Chandler.

"Okay good, now everything's hunky-dory right?" asked Monica unexpectedly, breaking the tension. Everyone exchanged warm smiles and nodded. "Good cuz' I'm hungry... Waiter!" she called, "I'll have one of everything!"

About an hour later, Monica was polishing off the last few bites of a strawberry cheesecake, Ross and Joey were talking about Joey's new movie, Chandler excused himself for the restroom, and Phoebe sat back and just watched. She considered how this was so weird...yet so right. Things were the way they should be. Even though Ross had only apologized an hour ago, she understood what Monica meant by how there was something different about him. He was finally back.

"Ross," interrupted Phoebe.

"Yeah?"

"Come to my wedding tomorrow."

He looked at her and Joey unsurely. Joey nodded his head supportively. "Wow...umm, thank you guys so much for caring enough to invite me," he started. "But I really don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" asked Monica. Bits of cheesecake escaped her mouth.

"Because things are so good right now. I don't want to mess anything up by jumping right into it..."

"But Ross, Joey and I are only getting married once...and it's tomorrow. I trust you're not going to do something stupid..."

"But I-"

Phoebe cut him off, "It would mean so much to us. Even though we were angry at you, we still loved you...this could be your present to us..."

Joey continued, "Please. If you meant what you said, you'd come."

Ross knew he couldn't argue. He really wanted to go, but he was still afraid. "Okay," he said smiling. "You're right. It would mean a lot to me too..."

"Hey, should we bring something home for Rachel and Rie-Rie?" asked Chandler as he returned to the table. Monica looked quickly at Ross.

"Speaking of Rachel," Ross said carefully. "Why, umm, why didn't she come?" Monica gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Sweetie...we – we tried."

He nodded his head sadly. "I understand." The table became silent with awkwardness again. "Hey, you guys should probably get going! I mean, there's a BIG day tomorrow!" He tried to sound enthusiastic.

A few minutes later, Ross was walking them to the car. As they stepped outside, they realized it had started to rain heavily.

"Oh no! Oh geez I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow!" cried Phoebe worriedly.

"Don't worry honey, I think it's just a little spring shower," said Monica.

"Little?"

"Well, the weather guy said it was supposed to be clear skies throughout the whole weekend..." said Joey.

"Oh what do they know? They also thought the earth was flat!" Phoebe was getting slightly annoyed. She sulkily got into the car.

"Are you going to be okay, tonight?" asked Monica before she got in.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Get in, you'll get sick..."

"Yes sir..." she teased before she kissed his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hey Ross...it's just good to have you back man," said Chandler as he shook his hand.

"Yeah...earlier today, before we found out you were here, we were talking about how much we missed you!" said Joey. He broke into a wide smile. "Aww...man come here!" He gave into his pride and grabbed Ross in a bear hug. Ross returned the hug gratefully. A smile crept across Chandler's face and he too joined them in the hug. The guys started to goofily jump around in the rain. The girls began to laugh. They finally broke and got into the car. "See you tomorrow at noon. We're meeting at the church," said Joey excitedly.

"Of course! And send my love to Ariel..." Ross added. "And uh, tell Rachel to call me."

"Sure..." said Monica. She waved goodbye as the car drove away and out of sight.

It was 2am. Ross was nowhere near tired. The entire day had felt like a dream. For the first time in so long, he was smiling, and it was genuine. He was excited about tomorrow.

Ross closed his eyes in an attempt to sleep, however it was short- lived. It wasn't excitement that kept him awake anymore; it was disappointment, longing, and a lot of heart ache. Rachel hadn't come to the dinner.

He stared up into the darkness of the ceiling for a long time. Before he realized what he was doing, he suddenly got out of bed and began to dress himself. He grabbed his phone and his hotel key and left.

The cab stopped in front of Joey and Phoebe's house. He stared at it, amazed. He paid the driver and stepped out. It was still raining, but he was unaware of that fact. He was fixated on Rachel. He took out his phone and dialed her number.

Rachel was awakened by the sound of bells. When she fully gained consciousness, she realized bells weren't ringing; her cell phone was. She flipped it open to see who in God's name would be calling her at 2:30 in the morning. It was Ross. She snapped it shut and stuffed the phone underneath a pillow to muffle the ringing. However, the ringing was annoyingly consistent. She grabbed the phone and left the room, hoping it wouldn't wake Ariel up. Once she was in the hall, she lazily pushed the "accept" button.

"Ross," she began warningly.

He cut her off. "I'm outside."

Rachel didn't understand. "What do you mean?"

"I'm outside Phoebe and Joey's house."

Rachel gasped, and then realized that explained the echoed static on the other end of the phone. "What? It's 2:30 in the morning Ross? So what, have you taken up stalking as some kind of sick hobby?" she deathly whispered into the phone.

"No. I just knew you wouldn't talk to me unless I came here."

Rachel didn't know what to do. She quietly went back into her room to look out her window. She saw Ross, dripping wet, standing outside...looking extremely lost. She tried to not let it get to her.

"Are you still there?" he asked.

"Yeah," she murmured. "But I'm not coming outside. You better call a cab and leave."

"Not until you listen to me."

"Fine then. Stand there in the rain and get sick. I don't care."

"Okay I will," he said before he turned off the phone. Rachel grew increasingly frustrated.

'What the hell does he want me to do?' she thought. 'I swear he is more stubborn than Monica!' She looked outside her window again and saw Ross, standing contentedly in the rain. She put a robe around herself before she went downstairs. She opened the door and quickly ran out to him. The rain was loud.

"Go away Ross!"

"No! You need to listen to me!"

"WHY?"

"Because this is important!"

"To you maybe, not to me!"

"If you won't listen for your sake...listen to me for Ariel's sake." Rachel froze at the mention of her daughter's name. That was a low blow, and he knew it'd work.

She considered it a few seconds. "Fine," she said. "You've got five minutes. But let's get out of the rain. I'm cold."

"We can't go inside, people will hear us."

"Follow me." Ross followed Rachel into the backyard. They walked into the gazebo, sheltered from the rain, but still cold from the wind. They were dripping wet.

"Thank you," mumbled Ross.

"Don't thank me yet..." Rachel was annoyed and very tired.

"You're shivering," he noticed.

"Obviously."

"Here..." He took off his jacket to put it around Rachel. Under different circumstances, she wouldn't have accepted it, but she felt like she was surrounded by ice. She tried to not look at him as he adjusted his coat around her shoulders. She was unsuccessful. They locked helpless gazes for a quick second, before she timidly stepped back.

The calmed silence between them alleviated the anger from Rachel. They shared a subtle smile. "Thanks," she said meekly. "Now what is so important that you need to tell me?"

Ross held his breath. "I found something in my suitcase earlier," he said softly.

"Umm...okay..." she said confused. Ross fumbled inside his pocket for a moment before he pulled out the object. Rachel stared at it, dazed.

"Is that...?" she asked, taken aback.

"It's my promise ring."

"How-how was that in your suitcase?"

"The day I moved out of our apartment, I...I took it off because I was going to leave it there. But I couldn't. So I put it inside the pocket of my suitcase. I haven't used the suitcase since then, and when I was unpacking earlier this morning, I found it..."

_There were nights when the wind was so cold_

_That my body froze in bed_

_If I just listened to it_

_Right outside the window_

"What does that have to do with me..." she mumbled, her eyes fixed on his.

Ross slowly moved closer to her, driving out the last bit of courage sustained in him. "Rachel, it has everything to do with you...I thought I died with my dad...but I was wrong." He shook his head as he leisurely took her hands into his. Rachel wanted to pull back, but found herself unable to move. "I died the day you left me..." She searched for an explanation in his eyes, but the answer was so clear. He was telling the truth.

_There were days when the sun was so cruel_

_That all the tears turned to dust_

_And I just knew my eyes were_

_Drying up forever_

"I've been dead these past four years, Rach. I wasn't there when you needed me. I lied to you. You have every reason to hate me..." She stared at him in disbelief, her eyes glistening against the faint moonlight.

_I finished crying in the instant that you left_

_Though I can't remember where or when or how_

"There is nothing I can do to make you understand how sorry I am...but I am sorry. Even if you don't believe me, I need to tell you that." With his eyes directly on hers he whispered, "I'm sorry Rachel."

_And I banished every memory you and I had ever made_

Ross carefully watched as streams of water flowed down Rachel's delicate face. He let one of her hands go to gently wipe her cheek. She trembled...

_But when you touch me like this_

_And you hold me like that_

_I just have to admit_

_That it's all coming back to me_

"I'm still in love with you, Rachel. I've loved you from the first moment I saw you...and I still do...Seeing this ring again made me finally realize this..." Rachel felt herself falling...

_When I touch you like this_

_And I hold you like that_

_It's so hard to believe_

"Say something, please..."

After so many years, to hear the words she had been secretly praying for...but believed she would never hear, was so strange. She looked at the ground, wanting so badly to say something, but unsure of what to say...

_But it's all coming back to me_

Before she could think of a response, Ross gently tipped her chin up with his finger and lightly grazed her lips with his.

_If you kiss me like this_

_And if you whisper like that_

_It was lost long ago_

_But it's all coming back to me_

Everything fell into place with that kiss. She wouldn't let herself believe she still loved him. But now...there was nowhere to run...

_If you want me like this_

_And if you need me like that_

_It was dead long ago_

_But it's all coming back to me_

Rachel's hands lingered onto his shoulders, caressing his face as their souls intertwined...

_It's so hard to resist_

_And it's all coming back to me_

Ross's arms encircled her waist to pull her closer; their bodies warm and immortal against the harshness of the wind...

_I can barely recall_

_But it's all coming back to me now_

Suddenly Ross felt Rachel tense up; fear came over him...

_But you were history with the slamming of the door_

_And I made myself so strong again somehow_

_And I never wasted any of my time on you since then_

Rachel caught herself before she completely gave in. She broke the kiss and pounded her fist into his chest to push him away.

"No! NO! It is NOT that easy, Ross!" She cried angrily and spun around. "You've had a million flings since me! You don't even TRY to spend time with me and Ariel! If you still loved me and if I was so important, why the hell did you treat me the way you did! Why did it take you so long to finally say this!"

_If you forgive me all this_

_If I forgive you all that_

_We forgive and forget_

_As it's all coming back to me_

Ross urgently held his arms out to Rachel. "Rachel, I am trying so hard to make you understand!" A mixture of rain and tears blinded his vision. "Please, Rachel...please..." he begged through incoherent sobs.

_When you see me like this_

_And when I see you like that_

_We see just what we want to see_

_As it's all coming back to me_

He desperately fell to his knees and grasped her arms. "Losing you is the biggest regret of my entire life! I've been in hell these past four years! I can't-I can't imagine living one more day without you!" He held her waist, crying into her body...

_The flesh and the fantasies_

_All coming back to me_

_I can barely recall_

_but it's all coming back to me now..._

"You promised Ross!" Her livid sobs were uncontainable. "You promised we would be together! You promised you'd always be there, no matter what! I put so much faith into that promise...and you broke it..."

_It's all coming back to me now..._

"Rachel, I'm here now..." He murmured frantically. "Please Rachel, please...I'm here now..."

To Be Continued...

P.S. This fic included the song "All Coming Back To Me" by Celine Dion.


	7. Happily Ever After

The Story of Faith 7: Happily Ever After

Disclaimer: I'm running out of clever disclaimer notices. Anyhow, Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Phoebe and Joey are not mine.

Ross and Rachel both continued to weep for minutes on end. He knelt on the cold, wooden floor gripping her; begging her with every fiber in his body for compassion. She remained standing, thriving on every last muscle to keep her strong; physically and emotionally. His heart wrenching; her heart resistant. It was a lose-lose battle.

Finally the wind died. The rain stopped. The air around them grew incredibly tranquil, forcing them to come to their senses. Rachel was the first to move. She lifted his head, smoothed the hair away from his face, and loosened his hands that were clutched tightly around her. She knelt down to his eye level, knowing what she needed to say.

"I never stopped loving you either, Ross…"

The words almost came out too easily. After all of the sorrow, the resentment, the frustration…these were the words that answered it all. Ross stared at her, amazed.

And yet, it solved nothing. "But it's just not good enough…" The pain returned in her eyes. "I gave you everything," she whispered. "There's nothing left…" Her warm breath burned the coldness on his lips and sent a chill down his spine. "I'm sorry." Rachel hesitated slightly before she slowly leaned in to lay a simple kiss on his mouth; one last kiss. "Your five minutes are up." She got up and began to walk down the steps of the gazebo, noticing the night was moist from the rain. Ross jumped up and called after her.

"Rachel! Wait!" He desperately shouted. She turned after the last step, looking up at him. The reflection of the moonlight complimented his deep, helpless eyes. "I may have ruined our past," he said sincerely, "but you can still save our future…" Rachel quickly turned away so he couldn't see the expression on her face. She quietly exhaled and made her way back into the house.

* * *

The church was luminescent. Ivory columns of lilacs and baby's breath invited guests through the entryway. The aisle carpet sparkled golden and was adorned by multi-colored rose petals. Lily and tulip displays stood at the end of every pew. The orchestra played Pachelbel's Canon in D serenely. Crystal chandeliers brilliantly lit the church, while bright glares from the stain-glass windows completed its sacredness.

The day was beautifully blue, clear and warm. It was the kind of day that made young lovers want to rejoice, old lovers renew, and separated lovers reunite.

Ross was seated with Ariel at the very front pew as Rachel and Monica stood at the altar, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Chandler stood next to a nervous, excited, anticipated Joey, carefully watching the joy spread across his best friend's face as his future bride made her way down the isle.

_Take me as I am_

_Put your hand in mine now and forever_

"Wow…" breathed Joey.

_Darling here I stand, stand before you now_

_Deep inside I always knew_

"She's breathtaking…" said Monica to Rachel.

_It was you, you and me_

_Two hearts drawn together bound by destiny_

Phoebe met Joey at the front of the altar. They joined hands. Ross stared intently at Rachel, praying that maybe someday, that would be them…

_It was you and you for me_

_Every road leads to your door_

_Every step I take forevermore_

"We are gathered here today to unite this man and this woman in holy matrimony…"

_Just say you love me for the rest of your life_

_I've got a lot of love and I don't want to let go_

"I, Phoebe Lynette Bouffe, take you, Joseph Francis Tribbiani, for my husband…"

_Will you still love me for the rest of my life?_

_'Cause I can't go on_

Rachel avoided eye contact with Ross, afraid he'd be able to read her mind…

_No, I can't go on_

_I can't go on_

_If I'm on my own_

"I, Joseph Francis Tribbiani, take you, Phoebe Lynette Bouffe, for my wife…"

_Take me as I am_

_Put your heart in mine, stay with me forever_

Monica and Chandler smiled lovingly at each other; Monica had tears in her eyes.

_Cause I am just a man who never understood_

_I never had a thing to prove_

"…from this day forward, until death do us part…"

_'Till there was you_

_You and me_

Ariel yawned slightly and scooted next to her father, leaning her delicate head against his arm.

_Then it all came clear so suddenly_

_How close to you that I want to be_

"With this ring, I thee wed…"

_Just say you love me for the rest of your life_

_I've got a lot of love and I don't want to let go_

Rachel watched astonished as Ross gently put his arm around his daughter, smiling as he gently caressed her hand. He leaned down, and planted a loving kiss upon her head.

_Will you still love me for the rest of my life?_

_'Cause I can't go on_

"I do…"

_No, I can't go on_

_I can't go on_

_If I'm on my own_

"I do…"

_Do you believe a love could run so strong?_

_Do you believe a love could pass you by?_

Ross noticed Rachel staring at him. They shared a sad, subtle smile.

_There was no special one for me_

_I was the lonely one, you see_

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

_But then my heart lost all control_

_Now you're all that I know_

(Back at Phoebe and Joey's for the reception)

"I am pleased to announce, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Tribbiani!" yelled Chandler through a microphone.

_Just say you love me for the rest of your life_

Phoebe giggled as they cut the cake. She takes a piece and creamed it on Joey's nose.

_I've got a lot of love and I don't want to let go_

_Phoebe and Joey walked to the dance floor for their first dance._

_Will you still love me for the rest of my life?_

Ross watched Rachel as she enviously eyed the couples romantically swaying. He got up to ask her to dance.

_'Cause I can't go on_

_No, I can't go on_

He extended his hand as he said, "I don't want to fight. Dance with me, please?" She hesitated for a moment, then cautiously accepted his hand. They slowly walked to the center of the floor.

_I can't go on_

_If I'm on my own_

"I want to apologize for the chaos I created this weekend. I didn't mean to overwhelm you, honestly. It's just that, for the first time in so long, I felt something, inside my heart…other than emptiness. I needed to explore that. And it led me back to you…"

_I can't go on_

_No, I can't go on_

_Without somebody I can call my own_

"I'm not expecting anything from you right now, Rach. I just don't want this anger between us anymore. I want to be a good father. I want to be a good friend. And even though you may not want anything to do with me right now, I'd wait for you forever…"

_Cause I can't go on, will you still love me?_

_No, I can't go on, just say you love me._

_Just stay around_

"I'm flying back to New York tonight, and before you say anything, just hear me out…Me coming out here has had some powerful consequences. I want you and Ariel to be able to enjoy the rest of your vacation. I know you won't be able to do that if I'm here. Can you just do me a favor and call me as soon as you get back home? I'd really love to have Ariel for a weekend or something…"

_Stay around, you'll never be alone_

"Thank you so much Rachel, for not taking my daughter away from me…"

Rachel smiled graciously. "You're welcome."

The song ended and Ross and Rachel walked in separate directions from the dance floor. It was about 5:30pm. His flight was at 9:17pm. He knew he needed to leave soon. Airport security had gotten incredibly strict and time consuming. He searched the backyard until his eyes fell upon what he wanted. He walked over to Ariel, who was playing with her Barbie dolls on a lawn patch. Two other young girls accompanied her.

"Hey sweetie, can daddy talk to you for a minute?"

"'kay daddy…" she took his hand and followed him to the gazebo.

"Daddy has to go back home tonight-"

"No! Daddy why? You dun wanna play wif me?"

"No-no! Of course daddy wants to play with you sweetie, I just have to do grown-up stuff! But, I promise as soon as you and mommy get back home, you and I will play EVERY DAY, okay?"

A wide smile broke across Ariel's face. "Otay."

"Here honey, I told you I'd get you something." Ross pulled out the promise ring from his jacket. It was hanging from a thin, white gold chain. He unhooked the clasp and gently put it around Ariel's neck.

"Wut is it?"

"This is something really special to daddy. It's my faith. And, I'm giving it to you. Now it's your faith."

"I luv it! It's spawkly!"

"I'm glad you do. Protect it, okay?

"Fowevuh"

"Forever…" repeated Ross. He picked up his little girl and planted teasing kisses on her cheek. She giggled in delight. They walked back to the lawn patch so she could continue playing with her new friends. Ross took out his phone and called for a taxi.

Chandler ran up to Ross. "Hey! I've been looking for you everywhere! Joey and Phoebe's limo is here! They're leaving for Hawaii in 2 minutes!"

"What? Really? Where are they!"

"In the front!" The guys ran to the front of the mansion where they found a large crowd of guests, with an aisle splitting them in half. Joey and Phoebe ran from their front door down the aisle; bits of rice showering over their heads. Ross called out to them, his voice tiny compared to the loud cheers. He fought his way through the crowd, finally reaching Joey's arm. Joey turned around, relieved to be able to say goodbye to his friend. Phoebe turned around and noticed him as well.

"This is your present!" called Ross as he handed Joey and Phoebe an envelope.

"Having you here is good enough!" yelled Joey.

"Too bad!" shouted Ross. "I figured you guys have everything you want already, so I tried to think of something different They're two plane tickets to New York, scheduled for this Christmas. You guys better visit." They grinned at each other, happy to be friends again.

"It's perfect Ross. Thank you so much!" exclaimed Phoebe. They shared quick hugs and Joey and Phoebe disappeared into the Navigator Limousine. The crowd behind Ross passed him as they ran after the car, continuously cheering. Ross saw Monica, standing on the top step of the doorway. He walked over to his sister, and embraced her.

"I'm going back home tonight."

"What? Why?"

"Rachel understands. You and Chandler had better call me as soon as you get home."

"Of course…we can go have coffee or something." Monica playfully punched Ross' right shoulder. "What time is your flight?"

"It's at 9:17. American Airlines flight 738."

"That means you have to leave soon…" said Monica sadly.

"Yeah, I know. I pretty much already said my good byes. Take care of yourself, okay?" Monica nodded and tightened her arms around her brother's waist. Ross kissed the top of her head. They let go. Chandler then walked up to them.

"Hey, why do you guys look so glum! It's a wedding! Not Joey's movie premiere!"

Ross laughed. "I'm flying back tonight. I gotta clear out my office and do a bunch of paperwork…"

"Monica told me about you quitting…so you're really going to do it?"

"Yep, I'm really going to do it." He smiled at Chandler. "Thanks for being so good to Ariel, man. You are going to make one awesome father." Chandler tried not to blush. Ross' taxi then pulled up in front of the house. He smile as he waved to Chandler and Monica, Ariel and Rachel nowhere in sight, got inside the cab, and drove back to his hotel room.

Ross was actually excited to get back to NYC, to get back to the beginning of his new life. He would spend the week looking into the Graduate program at NYU. He couldn't wait to see the reaction of his Law Firm when he announces his retirement. He was also planning on looking for a new apartment. He wanted to be closer to Ariel, Rachel, Monica and Chandler: his family. It was going to be a busy and stressful week, but unlike his last career, it was going to be worth it. An announcement interrupted his thoughts.

"Flight 738 to La Guardia airport in New York City is now boarding…" He picked up his carry-on, checked around him to make sure he wasn't missing anything, then went to go stand in line to board the plane.

* * *

It was around 9:45pm. There were still a few guests, dancing in the backyard under the wedding canopy as the hired help began cleaning up. Rachel was carrying Ariel upstairs, getting her ready for bed. 

"But mommy," yawned Ariel. "I'm not sweepy.

"Oh you're not, huh?"

"Nope…" Ariel's eyes began to droop. Rachel took off her dress, noticing a silver glare around her neckline. Rachel fingered the ring, finally realizing what it was. She put her hand to her mouth to prevent a gasp. She stared at it for a moment. "Did daddy give you this?"

"Yuh-huh," mumbled Ariel.

"Why?" asked a bewildered Rachel.

"It's my fafe," said Ariel matter-of-factly.

"You're-you're faith?" Rachel questioned in a whisper.

"Yeah mommy. My fafe. Purdy huh?"

Rachel's face softened as she saw how her daughter stared at the ring adoringly. "It's beautiful, baby." She continued changing Ariel, putting her into pajamas. Then, she tucked her into bed with boo-boo. "Night pumpkin…"

Rachel sat on the edge of her bed, watching Ariel as she slept; the twinkle of the ring bright against the darkened room. "You're faith…" Rachel whispered nonchalantly, almost aimlessly. She had no idea what made her say that. '_I may have ruined our past, but you can still save our future…_' She continued to stare at her daughter, realizing how wrong she had been to judge Ariel and Ross' relationship. He really was trying. It took him such a long time…but he was right. He was there now. Why had he given Ariel the ring? Was it to torture Rachel? No. No matter how mean he had been in the past, he never hurt her intentionally…he would never hurt her intentionally…

Then it clicked.

Ross hadn't betrayed her like she believed he had. The drinking, the drugs, the verbal abuse…it wasn't **intentional**. She blamed him for not caring; not wanting to help; not being there. But he couldn't. It was like he forgot how. She couldn't understand his loss. It was his and Monica's father. Not hers. She was never really close to her parents, although he was. She never understood what it was like to have someone so close, whom you loved more than yourself, and then have that person be taken away…so cruelly.

But finally, a glimmer of realization hit Rachel. As she watched her daughter breathe unconsciously, she understood. '_If anybody ever hurt Ariel_…' the thought of it drove Rachel crazy. Her relationship with Ariel went beyond any kind of love. It was unconditional. It was pure. It was sacrificial. The bond between a parent and child was indefinable, but it was nonetheless powerful.

Rachel gathered her thoughts as she got off the bed. The clock read 10:33pm. She couldn't call his cell phone. He was in the air. She called his apartment in NY instead and decided to leave a message.

* * *

Chandler and Monica were in the family room, watching television. The entire day, not to mention the entire weekend, had worn them out. Jerry Maguire was on. 

"Hello? Hello? I'm looking for my wife…" said Tom Cruise on the screen.

"Oh I love this part!" squealed Monica. Chandler smiled at her sweetly then turned away, rolling his eyes at the TV. He didn't like Tom Cruise.

"We interrupt the NBC Sunday night movie with a special new bulletin..." echoed the television speakers.

"No!" yelled Monica. "Why do they always do this when it gets to the good part?" Chandler innocently shrugged, while he was secretly relieved. "Whatever. I'm going to go upstairs and put my pajamas on. These granny panties aren't comfy." Chandler watched Monica walk grumpily upstairs before he focused his attention back to the television.

"Good evening. I'm Mary Grace Estrada…" Chandler glanced around looking for the television remote. The news announcement looked boring. "Unfortunate news has reached the station tonight claiming that American Airlines has yet again suffered another plane collision…" Chandler got up and flipped over the cushions of the couch, continuing his search for the remote control. "A 747 jet, flying from San Jose International Airport to La Guardia International Airport collapsed mid-air over bordering California-Nevada Mountains. The incident is yet to undergo thorough investigation -" Chandler was no longer looking for the remote. His eyes were planted on the television screen. He was hardly breathing. "Wait, this just in. It has been verified. American Airlines Flight 738, departed at 9:17pm from San Jose International airport, San Jose, California, expected to arrive at La Guardia International Airport in New York City, New York at 7:36am Eastern Standard time, exploded on impact into the Tahoe region of California at 9:39pm. The explosion erupted a series of stray fires, damaging the redwood population along the mountainside. California rescue teams claim there are no survivors. The cause of this crash is still under investigation. More on this at the 11 o'clock news."

Chandler grabbed at his chest. It couldn't be…Chandler was just assuming…After all, Ross hadn't told him the flight number…It wasn't his plane…No way could it have been Ross' plane.

Beads of sweat unanimously surfaced on Chandler's strained face. He stumbled as he frantically ran up the stairs to Monica. She was slipping her nightgown over her head.

"Mon…" began Chandler hoarsely. It hurt to speak. It hurt to breathe. "Wha-what was Ross' flight number again?" he forced this out nervously.

"Why?" she slowly asked, noticing how pale his face was.

"It's-it's important Monica." Chandler fought the urge to cry.

"I umm…I don't really remember, I think it's 7-something…"

"738?" he deathly whispered.

"Yeah, that's it…" Chandler fell back against the door. "Chandler! Chandler, sweetie what's wrong!" He looked at Monica, his eyes glazed from fright.

"Sit…down beside me…I have…something to tell you…" He was barely audible.

Rachel had just finished leaving a message on Ross' machine. She snapped her phone shut, genuinely happy for the first time in very long. Rachel had faith that they were going to be together again. She smiled into the darkness of the room.

Then she heard Monica scream. An indescribable pain bruised Rachel's heart at the shrill sound of Monica's voice.

Rachel ran down the hall to find Monica sobbing hysterically as Chandler held her tightly to subdue his own anguish. Rachel was afraid to ask…

"What-what's wrong?" she whispered.

Chandler slowly looked up, his face ghostly white, his eyes red and over flowing with wetness…He didn't want to tell her. "Rachel…" he trembled. He tried to swallow; it was impossible. "Ross' plane…" He shook his head bitterly. He couldn't continue. He didn't need to. Rachel understood. The pain in his eyes explained it all…

She felt the floor beneath her disappear. Everything around her began to spin.

Then the room went dark.

To be continued with the final chapter of: The Story of Faith

P.S. This fic included the song "Will You Still Love Me" by Chicago.


	8. Just Have a Little Faith

The Story of Faith 8: Just have a little Faith

Author's Note: Thank you AGAIN for all of the support, comments and CONSTRUCTIVE criticism! Hehe...I enjoyed writing this fic. I've never really written something like this before and I had a great experience, so I think I'm going to continue! Yay:)

Disclaimer: These characters will be mine! (When pigs fly...)

This is the conclusion of The Story of Faith series.

A sharp current jolted the plane's aerodynamic sensitivity. Ross' knuckles turned white as he tensely gripped the armrest. He had no reason to be nervous. After all, he had been riding planes pretty frequently. This flight was no different. He exhaled slowly and looked out the window. It was a gorgeous night, completely the opposite of the night before. The stars shone brightly against the tall, cascading hills. Yes, this flight was no different than the others.

Except that it was.

"Honey, turn around so mommy can put your seat belt back on. You're not supposed to take it off yet," said a lady from the row in front of Ross. A little girl, possibly around Ariel's age, had her knees on the seat of the chair. She was facing Ross, looking curiously at the unexplainable expression on his face. Ross turned his head from the window, finally noticing the child. He smiled warmly at her.

"Don't be scared Mister," she sweetly whispered. "I was scared too, but my mommy said that Angels are carrying the airplane, and the reason why it's bumpy is 'cuz their wings get caught in the clouds..." Ross was taken aback by the innocence and eloquence of the little girl. An aching emotion kicked his heart as he felt a longing to be with his daughter.

"Thank you. I'm not scared anymore." He smiled to reassure her.

"Faith, leave the nice gentleman alone and turn around, please," said her mother pleasantly.

"Your name is Faith?" asked Ross, touched.

"Yuh-huh. Faith Johnson. My daddy named me..." her voice grew quiet. "He's not here anymore, though. He's in heaven, with my Grammy and Poppy."

"I'm sorry sweetie," said Ross sympathetically. The flight became smooth once again and the seatbelt sign turned off. "So Faith, how old are you?"

"I'm four. I just turned four last month!" she said excitedly.

"Wow. Hey, you know, I have a daughter who's almost your age. She turns four next month."

"Really? Where is she?"

"She's in California with her Mommy. They're on vacation."

"Oh...does she like the power-puff girls?"

"She loves them. She has the backpack."

"Me too!" Faith squealed, "I even have the lunch -" Her words were cut short by a quick, jerky-motion that made her topple over into her mother's lap. A distinctive "ding" sounded as the lights of the seat belt sign flashed. A static-covered voice sounded over the intercom.

"We apologize for the discomfort of the flight. As your captain, I assure you that everything is under control. Unfortunately, we are experiencing unexpected turbulence because of harsh wind currents. For the meantime, the seatbelt sign will remain on, and for your own safety we advise no one to leave their seats unless necessary for laboratory purposes. Thank you."

Ross quickly adjusted his seatbelt over his lap. Faith was now secured in one as well, next to her mother. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply to calm himself down. Thoughts of Ariel invaded his head, which triggered thoughts of Rachel. He didn't want to leave them, but he felt he needed to. He had overwhelmed Rachel. And even though she told Ross she didn't want to be with him, he had faith that deep down, she did. She needed him as much as he needed her. But it was going to take time for her to realize that, and he was going to give her all the time in the world. He loved her. He loved his daughter. They were worth the wait.

But little did he know, Ross' wait ended that night...with Rachel's telephone call.

"_Ross, I know you're not going to get this for a few more hours, but...I just wanted you to know that...well, I understand.._." her voice shook. "_I finally understand how you felt. I know this doesn't make sense, and I can't fully explain myself on your machine, so call me, okay? When you get this message...call me. Ariel and I...we love you very much Ross," Rachel murmured melodically. "You're more than enough._" Yes, his wait ended. But, with much more than just a telephone call.

Ross' eyes opened wide in panic. His sleep was painfully disturbed by a loud roar, the screeching sounds of ripping metal and frantic screams. The body of the plane hastily filled with smoke and the putrid smell of gasoline. Oxygen masks dropped from compartments above the passenger's heads, and the lethal graze of uncontrollable flames injured the right wing of the airplane; the wing outside Ross' window. He felt his breath catch short; his eyes smoldered from the smoke. He grabbed for the oxygen mask above his head and closed his eyes tightly, drowning out the sounds of torment and distress by filling his head with loud prayers. All he could think of was Ariel and Rachel. Ariel and Rachel. Ariel. Rachel. Rachel. Rachel.

Then everything went dark.

* * *

"Quick Isabel, can you get me another towel?" cried Monica to a maid. Rachel was sprawled on Monica's bed, her face flushed and her body limp. Her eyes fluttered. "Rachel! Rachel!" Monica said sternly. "Can you hear me?" Rachel lazily opened her eyes to see Monica's concerned face above her. She felt incredibly hot all over, and very dizzy. Her mouth was dry. She felt her lips twitch. 

"Mon..." she whispered, strained.

"Chandler!" cried Monica. "She's awake!" She focused her attention back to Rachel.

"I'm here." Chandler raced back into the room, a telephone on each ear. Another maid followed behind him, with two more telephones. They were all connected to the San Jose International airport personnel but were put on hold. The crash had sent their phone lines in frenzy. Chandler figured the more phones they had connected to the airport, the faster they spoke to someone.

"How are you feeling?" asked Monica. Rachel studied her best friend's tired face. Her eyes were incredibly swollen, and her voice sounded raspy. Then she remembered.

Ross.

"Oh my God!" Panicked, she stretched her arms out to lift herself up. The blood that rushed to her head hurt terribly but she didn't care. "Monica!" It all came back to her...The plane. The crash. She had seen him die. She felt him die. She covered her mouth to prevent a scream. "I saw the plane explode!" she grabbed Monica's arm. She put her hands frantically to her face. "I saw Ross die..." Her despair echoed into the room.

"Rachel..." Monica bit her lip. "Calm down, sweetie..."

"But Monica I did! He was there! By the window...and I saw..." she couldn't explain herself anymore. The tears were endless. And so was her pain.

"Sweetie, there was no way you could've seen that...maybe it was a dream or something..."

"No!" Rachel yelled defiantly. "It was SO real!" She bitterly shook her head and fought to continue. "I know it sounds crazy, but I could feel it..." she choked on her sobs. "I felt it Monica..." The emotional tension was too much for Chandler. He left the room and walked down the hall by the staircase. He needed to stay calm in order to retrieve information from the airlines. Ross had to be alive. He didn't get on that plane. He didn't make up with the people he loved just to be taken away the next day. Chandler was going to prove this.

"Thank you for holding. This call may be monitored for our records. This is Joseph with American Airlines. How may I be of service?" Chandler motioned for the maid to hang up the other phones.

"Yes, thank you for speaking with me. My name is Chandler Bing. I need to know if a specific passenger was on Flight 738. His name is Ross Gellar."

"I'm sorry, Sir. That information is classified," said the representative, very simply.

"Excuse me? Do you know which flight I'm referring to?" asked Chandler, his temper boiling over. Fuck the calmness, he figured. "IT'S THE PLANE THAT JUST CRASHED! My brother-in-law was supposed to be on that flight! His sister and his daughter NEED TO KNOW!"

"I'm sorry, Sir. Let me transfer you."

"NO! I'm tired of being transferred! Don't you people know how to do your job? JUST TELL ME IF HE WAS ON THE PLANE OR NOT!"

"Hello Mr. Bing, I'm Andrea Malia, an American Airlines supervisor. If you give me just a quick moment, I'll be able to verify whether or not Mr. Gellar was on the flight."

"Umm...thanks," he said, his voice still quavering from anger. After a few moments, Andrea came back.

Chandler held his breath.

"I'm sorry Mr. Bing," said Andrea dejectedly. "Our records verify that a Mr. Ross Gellar was indeed on the flight. His ticket was collected as he boarded the plane..." The tiny ounce of faith Chandler had left diminished at that instant. "May I have a telephone number, so we can keep in contact? I will be sure to call you first thing in the morning. American Airlines would personally like to offer you and your family any services available--"

Chandler didn't listen to the rest of the conversation. He hung up the phone, refusing to believe. He glanced at his watch. It was nearly midnight. Ross was alive less than 3 hours ago. He was alive. And now, God knows why, he's not. The last of his strength left his body. He knew he needed to stay strong for Monica and Rachel, but it was too hard. What do you do when your best friend dies? How were they going to tell Ariel? Why this on Phoebe and Joey's wedding day? It didn't seem fair. He leaned his back against the wall and let free his livid agony.

A tall figure stood a few feet away, at the top of the staircase, watching Chandler as he cried in his hands. The figure crept closer, careful not to startle him.

Chandler noticed a shadow. He took his hands away from his face and looked up. It was the butler. "Mr. Bing..." he began solemnly. Chandler interrupted him.

"Have you gotten a hold of Phoebe and Joey yet?"

"No, not yet Sir. I left a message at their hotel."

"Alright. Thank you." Jacob nodded and walked down the hallway. Chandler slumped down to the floor, staring aimlessly at the wall in front of him.

A few moments later, the shadow returned. Still staring at the ceiling, he said, "I'm sorry Jacob, but I'd like to be left alone."

"Jacob's downstairs with Isabel," whispered an unsteady, male voice. A series of chills drowned Chandler's body at the sound of those words. He knew that voice. But he was afraid to turn his head. He didn't need to. The man walked over and stood right in front of him.

* * *

"SSsshhh, Rachel," cooed Monica. She held Rachel in her arms and soothingly stroked her hair. 

"Before, before you told me he..." she stuttered to find the words. "I just called him, Monica...I called him because I finally understand..." Her face was covered against Monica's shoulders. "And now he won't know! He won't know!" Her body shivered in Monica's embrace.

"Of course he knows sweetie...I'm sure he does..." She attempted to wipe Rachel's face. Rachel stared at her, bewildered. After a moment, she tried to calm herself.

"How can you stay so strong?" she whispered. "How do you do it?"

"Because I know how much you need me right now. And I know Ross would want me to take care of you..." She said simply. "And I know he would want you to be strong for Ariel..." Rachel looked away from Monica and glanced at the wall. She ran her hand against her face. She said the next words quietly.

"You know I never stopped loving him, Monica. I tried to hide it, but I couldn't. That's why I haven't moved on..." She sighed. "Even though I pretended I hated him, I didn't. I was just so hurt because I couldn't understand why he changed...And now...now that I've finally realized...now that HE finally realized...we still can't be together...it's just not fair..." She bit her lip so hard it began to bleed. "Is this what love is supposed to be about?"

"I don't know..." Monica shook her head sullenly. "I really don't."

Suddenly, the girls heard a loud but muffled whimper in the hallway. Afraid something happened to Chandler, Monica rushed out of the bedroom.

"Oh My God!"

Rachel came out of the room in response to Monica's outburst. She nearly fell against the wall as she let out a scream. Monica continued to stand, motionless and pale, as though she had just seen a ghost. Ross and Chandler were standing at the end of the hall hugging each other, both engrossed in fear and relief; both crying their hearts out.

"Ross!" yelled Rachel frantically. She clumsily ran to him, a new stream of wetness flooded her vulnerable eyes. Her body was still unbelievably weak, but she fought for strength. She didn't care how he was there or what had happened. He was there; that's all that mattered. "Ross!" she cried again as she was just a few feet away. He let go of Chandler and turned to face her, his eyes wet, his face thankful. Rachel flung her arms around him desperately, her face buried in his chest. "I thought I lost you!" she cried incoherently. "I thought I lost you..."

His sobs were just as strong. "Never, Rach..." he mumbled into her hair. "You will never lose me..."

It was about 2:30am. Chandler, Monica, Rachel and Ross were sitting in the living room drinking coffee, blankets wrapped around them, their bodies cold against the night chill; their hearts warm with reassurance. Ross was explaining what had happened.

* * *

Ross handed the flight attendant his ticket. "Thank you Mr. Gellar. Enjoy your flight!" Just as he was about to enter the ramp leading to the plane, a little girl ran past him.

A few seconds later, "Faith!" called a female voice from inside the boarding ramp. "Faith sweetie, where are you!" The pretty lady with short brown hair nearly knocked Ross over, forcing him to drop his carry-on. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!"

Ross smiled. "That's alright. No harm done."

"Did you happen to see which way a little girl with brown wavy hair went?" she asked exasperatedly. She was on the verge of tears.

"No, there were too many people behind me in line, I'm sorry..." Ross said sympathetically. The woman erupted in tears.

"Oh I knew this would happen!" she mumbled, walking up the ramp back towards the airport. Ross followed her, concerned. "She absolutely HATES flying! And I tried to trick her! I told her the plane wouldn't leave the ground! I told her it was just a really big bus! Was that the stupidest lie or what! God, I'm a terrible parent!" she continued to sob loudly. The other passengers walked by her and Ross, trying to ignore the scene she was making. Ross tried to calm her down. A flight attendant approached them.

"Is everything okay?"

"No!" cried the lady. "My daughter is somewhere in the airport, running away from me because I'm a terrible parent!"

"We'll put security on it, Miss. I just need a brief description and also a name so we can page her over the intercom."

"It's Faith Johnson," mumbled the lady. "She just turned four. She has dark, wavy brown hair and hazel eyes..."

"Hey, don't cry...I'm sure you're not a terrible parent..." He hesitated awkwardly before he put his hand on his shoulder. "I have a 3 and a half year old daughter. I have a pretty good idea of what you're going through..." She looked at him solemnly.

"I have no idea where she ran off to! When my ex-husband finds out, he's going to kill me!" The look in her eyes pleaded for Ross' help. He nodded his head reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Miss Johnson. We'll find her..."

* * *

"We finally found her at the Duty Free Shop. But by that time, the plane had already taken off..." he voice grew grave. "I took a cab to the Fairmont, but there were no more rooms available because of some out-of-state convention that's supposed to start tomorrow...well actually today. Then the battery on my phone died, so I went into the hotel's sports bar to call you guys. All of your phones were busy. So, I sat down and decided to wait. They had the TV on...that's when I saw the news..." The room fell silent.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you don't know how happy I am that the little girl ran away from her mom!" exclaimed Monica. The rest nodded in agreement, still shaken up.

"Wait..." started Rachel. "Did you say the little girl's name was Faith?"

"Yeah, beautiful name, huh?"

Rachel sat still, confused at the coincidence. "Yeah," nodded Rachel. She remembered the name from her dream. Her DREAM. It had been a dream. She looked up at the ceiling and mouthed a "Thank You" to God...

The silence was interrupted by the high-pitched yawn coming from the bottom of the staircase. Ariel stood on the bottom step, holding Boo-Boo. She saw Ross. "Daddy!" Her fatigue disappeared. She ran to the couch and jumped on his lap.

"Whoa munchkin!" laughed Ross.

"What are you doing out of bed?" asked Rachel.

"I was firsty and you weren't dere..." she said. She gazed happily at her father. "I thought you said you wuz gonna go home?"

"Nope..." said Ross. He gazed lovingly at Rachel before looking back down at Ariel. "You are my home..."

* * *

**EPILOGUE**

_When I see you there,_

_I'm so aware of how lucky I am, baby_

Everyone is at the hospital. Monica had just given birth. Chandler ran out of the delivery room to the gang sitting in the lobby. "I had a son! Did you hear that everybody! I," Chandler pointed to himself to emphasize his point, "HAD A SON! A-WOO-HOO-HOO!" Before anybody could respond, he ran back into the delivery room to find Monica holding their son.

"What should we name him?" she asked quietly. Chandler didn't need to think of one. A name had stayed fresh in his mind for quite awhile.

"How about Jack?"

"It's perfect."

_'Cause I don't deserve, I don't come close,_

_To understanding the logic of your kind of trust._

_It amazes me that someone like you_

_Would care enough to just believe_

"Ross," began Rachel shakily, "You have given me everything I've always wanted and more than I've ever needed. With your patience, your understanding, and your undying faith, you have taught me the meaning of unconditional love. I will always be grateful to you because of this." She puts her hand to her heart, calming herself to continue. "I stand here today, among friends and family, promising that I not only love you unconditionally, but I will for the rest of my life." Rachel gently slipped the ring onto his finger as she gazed intently into his gleaming eyes.

"Rachel, all my life I've dreamed of this moment. Even before I met you, I knew you were the one." His voice grew beyond sincere. "And even though the cruelties of this world are constantly trying to test my faith, your faith in me is what keeps me going. I've never loved anybody like I've loved you and I promise, with all of my heart and soul, I will never stop loving you. This vow is forever." Ross slipped the ring onto her finger and gently kissed her hand. As Rachel bent her head down to look at her hand, a single tear escaped from her eye.

"By the Power vested in me by the state of New York and the uh, Internet People, I now pronounce you Husband and Wife! You may kiss the bride!" exclaimed Joey. Ross leaned down to Rachel as she touched his face with her hand. Their lips met simply, but the meaning behind it was profound. Their past, their present and now their future was embedded in that kiss. And it would be, forever. "Yeah baby..." Joey mumbled coyly.

_Your faith in me, it pulls me through,_

_When there's nothing around to hold onto_

_When I fall, when I'm weak_

_All the strength that I need is your faith, baby_

_Your faith in me..._

"But Mom, I'm scared..." Ariel gripped her mother's hand tightly. It was her first day of kindergarten.

"Don't worry pumpkin. You'll be fine..."

"But I don't know anybody..." Her voice was uneven.

"Honey look at me," Rachel caught Ariel's gaze. "You are the bravest little girl I know. I know you're going to love it if you just give it a chance, okay?"

"Okay..." She kissed her mother goodbye and walked towards her classroom. Another little girl caught up to Ariel and walked beside her.

"I like your lunchbox. The Power-Puff girls are the best!"

"Hey! Wow! I like yours too! It's the purple one! I wanted that one, but all they had at the store was pink."

"I like pink. It's my favorite color. But I got the purple one 'cuz Bubbles is on it and she's my favorite Power-Puff girl." Ariel smiled gratefully at the girl next to her.

"I'm Ariel, but everyone calls me Rie-Rie. You can too if you'd like."

"Hi Rie-Rie!" The girl grinned. "I'm Faith!"

_Even when I fall, I get along,_

_'Cause our love is real._

_It's like salvation to my soul,_

_'Cause that's how it feels._

"And the Oscar goes to...JOEY TRIBBIANI!" yelled Brad Pitt. Joey stood up, completely surprised. He had won his very first Academy-Award.

"I knew you could do it, sweetie!" Phoebe stood up to kiss him and then pushed him towards the stage. As soon as he was up there, he couldn't contain his excitement and awe.

"Wow. I uh, this completely took me by surprise! Seriously, it was an honor just to be nominated!" He looked down at the award. He laughed. "I can't believe I get to take one of these guys home!" He cleared his throat quickly. "I'd uh, like to thank the Academy for this great, great honor. And Steven Spielberg for his wonderful creativity with this project. And my family in New York! I love you guys! And my best friends, Ross, Rachel, Monica and Chandler! And my niece Ariel and my nephew Jack! But most of all, I'd like to thank my wife, Phoebe, for her never ending support. You always had faith me, Pheebs. And I will love you forever because of that!"

_It's a sacred thing that I keep close to carry on_

_And I know that I will be alright_

_In your healing arms_

"Okay, watch your step..." Ross has Rachel blindfolded as he led her through a doorway. "Okay, now stand right here and don't take off the blindfold yet." He went over to the window to open the drapes. The sunshine illuminated the room. Ross looked around to make sure everything looked just right. "Okay...now..." Rachel undid the blindfold and squinted her eyes against the sunshine. She gasped as she realized she was standing in the middle of a brand-new, gorgeous, two-story house.

"Wow..." she breathed. "Ross...this place is beyond beautiful it's..."

"Ours" he finished. She looked at him stunned.

"Can-can we afford this?"

"We just did." Rachel beamed at him. "I-I figured the city is great and all, but I'd really like if Ariel grew up somewhere safer...that way, she can ride her bike on the sidewalks instead of having to go to Central Park...and, you know...if we wanted to have more kids...there'd be a lot more room..." his voice trailed off as he planned the next fifty years in his head.

"More kids?" asked Rachel teasingly.

"Well, yeah..." he said innocently. "Wouldn't it be kinda great if Ariel had another brother or sister to play with?" Rachel noticed the sparkle in his eye. She was touched.

"Hmm...well we've already bought the house," she said sexily, "we're kinda behind schedule Mr. Gellar..." she winked at him playfully before she wrapped her arms around his neck and met his lips with hers in a passionate kiss.

_Your faith in me, it pulls me through_

_When there's nothing around to hold onto_

_When I fall, when I'm weak_

_All the strength that I need is your faith, baby_

_Your faith in me..._

"Congratulation on your doctorate, Dr. Gellar." The Dean of the College of Natural Sciences shook Ross' hand as he handed him his doctorate certificate. "This is quite an achievement."

"Thank you very much, Dr. Benders," said Ross bashfully. He then sauntered excitedly over to Rachel.

"I did it! I'm officially an expert of Dinosaurs!" he shouted gleefully.

"I'm so proud of you Ross!" she squeezed her arms around his waist.

"Yeah Ross!" agreed Chandler. "You're not just a Dinosaur freak anymore. Now you're a Professional Dinosaur freak!"

"Hey!" warned Rachel defensively. "I happen to love this dinosaur freak."

"Really?" asked Ross shyly. "You don't...you don't think it's dorky?"

Rachel giggled. "Of course it's dorky sweetie, but that's why I love you."

_You make me feel I can walk on water_

_I can reach above the stars_

_And nothing comes against me_

_Safe within your arms-_

"Ten years Mrs. Gellar..." Ross cooed lovingly into Rachel's ear.

"Ten years Mr. Gellar..." Rachel kissed him lightly.

"Happy Anniversary." He presented a box from behind his back.

"What is it?" she asked curiously.

"Open it and see!" he laughed. She opened the tiny velvet box to reveal a blinding, diamond anniversary band.

"Oh my gosh! I can't believe you bought - I mean WOW! I love it!" she squealed. "Now open yours!" Rachel handed him an envelope.

"Season 'Knicks' tickets! You are the best wife ever!"

"I know..." she smiled.

_Your faith in me, it pulls me through_

_When there's nothing around to hold onto_

_When I fall, when I'm weak_

_All the strength that I need is your faith, baby_

_Your faith in me..._

"Mom, how do you know you're in love?" Rachel was startled by Ariel's question. Ross raised his eyebrows and peeked over the book he was reading.

"I-uh," Rachel started nervously. "I don't exactly understand what you're asking sweetie. Explain it to me."

"Well, there's this boy at school...and I think I like him...well Faith says I like him cuz I always get all quiet and shy when he's around...But I can't help it...And then my knees get all weak and then my insides flutter like crazy!"

"Well, do you think he likes you?"

"That's what Faith says. She says she always catches him looking at me and that he told Danny who told Cynthia who told Johnny who told Faith that he thinks I'm kinda cool for a girl..." Ariel's face turned to mush.

"Hmm..." said Rachel, trying hard not to smile. If she laughed, she knew Ariel would be incredibly hurt. "I don't know exactly what to tell you, Rie...the best advice I can give you is to just let things flow. If he likes you...you'll know it." Ariel smiled gratefully at her mother.

"Thanks mom," she walked out of the bedroom.

"She's in love!" whispered Ross incredulously. "She's only 15! What could she possibly know about love?" Rachel stared at him suspiciously.

"Excuse me! You fell in love with me when YOU were 15!"

"Yeah, well..." Ross tried to reason. "That's different."

"How!" asked Rachel.

"Cuz..." Ross looked down at his hands. "Cuz she's my little girl..."

"Aww..." giggled Rachel as she took Ross in her arms. "You poor, old, father, you..." she teased.

_When I fall,_

_When I'm weak,_

_All I need, baby_

_Is your faith in me..._

The night sky was painted with stars. Rachel and Ross were lying on a blanket in their backyard, holding each other. Blackness surrounded them, except for the faint glow of the moonlight and the twinkling from heaven. Rachel delicately nuzzled her head into Ross' neck, amazed, grateful and moved by the realization they had lasted as long as they had. She kissed his shoulder affectionately.

"How did we get this far?" Rachel whispered into Ross' chest. He smiled and his arms wrapped securely around her, stroking her back tenderly.

"Love, compassion...and whole lot of faith."

_Your faith in me._

THE END! WOO! Hope you guys liked it! Be sure to stay tuned for my next series!

P.S. This fic included the song "Your faith in me" by Jessica Simpson.

P.P.S. You really didn't think I'd kill Ross, did you?


End file.
